/ IHRights#Iran: Hossein Amaninejad and Hamed Yavari were executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 11 June. Hossein was arrested… https://t.co/3lnMTwFH6z13 Jun

Kurdish-Sunni Political Prisoner Khosro Besharat Executed; 103+ Executed in 28 Days

15 May
Kurdish-Sunni Political Prisoner Khosro Besharat Executed; 103+ Executed in 28 Days

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 15, 2024: Kurdish political prisoner Khosro Besharat was executed after spending more than 14 years on death row in Ghezelhesar Prison along with three drug defendants. Khosro’s co-defendant, Kamran Sheikheh is at imminent risk of execution. At least 103 people including three women, were executed in Iranian prisons in the last four weeks.

Condeming Khosro Besharat’s execution in the strongest terms, Iran Human Rights calls on the international community to take urgent action to stop the Islamic Republic’s execution machine.

IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said:"Khosro Basharat was sentenced to death after being tortured in a grossly unfair trial  based on false accusations. His execution is unlawful according to international law and even the laws of the Islamic Republic and is considered an extrajudicial killing. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic and other officials of the corrupt judiciary of the Islamic Republic must be held accountable for this crime.” He further said, "The silence of the international community regarding the execution of more than 103 people in the last four weeks is unacceptable and must end."

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, Kurdish-Sunni political prisoner, Khosro Besharat was executed in Ghezelhesar Prison on 15 May after spending more than 14 years on death row.

Khosro Besharat is the sixth defendant in the case to be executed in the last two months. Ghasem Abasteh was executed on 5 November 2023; Ayoub Karimi was executed on 29 November; Davoud Abdollahi was executed on 2 January 2024; Farhad Salimi was executed on 23 January; Anwar Khezri was executed on 1st May. Kamran Sheikheh, the last defendant in the case is at imminent risk of execution. His last family visit took place on 3rd May and he is currently held in the pre-execution cells of Ghezelhesar Prison.

The seven political prisoners were arrested in January 2010 and subjected to physical and psychological torture to force confessions.

An informed source previously told IHRNGO: “We don’t know why they picked Khosro and charged him with this. He’s a religious person and prays but he did not have extremist or heresy or any such views and didn’t even agree with them. During interrogations, he was also accused of murdering a soldier, which he was severely tortured over. But the soldier’s brother and eyewitnesses to the murder later came to identify his killer and confirmed that Khosrow and the two other people in his case -Anwar Khezri and Kamran Sheikheh- were not his brother’s killers.”

The source added: "They had previously arrested two other people over this soldier’s murder, who had confessed to the murder under torture. Everyone in Mahabad knew the story. Khosro had been severely tortured over the murder of the soldier and had confessed under torture but the allegations of killing the soldier were resolved after the testimony of his brother who was present during the murder. They did not find any guns or weaponry or even a knife on Khosro, however, after the murder case was resolved, they charged Khosro and his co-defendants with “corruption on earth” (efsad-fil-arz).”

The source further added: “After the soldier’s brother confirmed that they were not the killers, he kissed them and asked them for forgiveness and the interrogator told them that they had been acquitted and that he would be sending a fax to Mahabad to inform them. But not only were the three not released but the year after, they were tried at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court by Judge Moghiseh, who charged them with “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth” through armed rebellion (baghy). This is while they had not found any weapons and he hadn’t clashed with the officers, such an accusation without weapons is inadmissible. Ultimately, all three defendants were sentenced to death on the same charges.”

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials.

Three drug defendants were also executed along with Khosro. 

At least 103 people including three women, have been executed in Iranian prisons since 17 April (28 days). Of those, 61 people were convicted of drug charges.