Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 1, 2023: Newly obtained information shows that two of the men executed with Ayoub Karimi in Ghezelhesar Prison on Wednesday were sentenced to death for drug-related charges and the other four were on death row for murder. This is the fifth group execution in Ghezelhesar Prison in November.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, seven men were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison on 29 November. One of the men was previously identified as Kurdish political prisoner Ayoub Karimi who was sentenced to death for moharebeh (enmity against god) and efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) charges.
Newly obtained information by IHRNGO reveals that two of the men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges. One of them has been identified as Bagher Mohammadi who was sentenced to death with his co-defendant by the Malard Revolutionary Court.
The other four men were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. One of the men has been identified as Eghbal Fattahi. IHRNGO is working to establish the identities of the other four men.
As well as the group execution on Wednesday, two men were also executed for drug-related charges at the prison on Tuesday, 28 November 2023.
On 1st November, IHRNGO reported a group execution of nine men at Ghezelhesar Prison. A week later, another group execution of eight men took place at the prison on 8 November. The next week, another group execution of nine men took place at the prison on 15 November. The fourth group execution of four men was reported on 22 November. This is the fifth group execution in November at the prison.
Executions have dramatically increased in recent months, with at least 176 people executed since 7 October. Iran Human Rights has recorded 707 executions in 2023. Of those, 390 were sentenced to death for drug-related charges and 238 for murder charges. A child, 17 women and six protesters were amongst those executed.