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Secret executions continue in Mashad’s Vakilabad prison: Executions also during the holy month of Ramadan

23 Oct 11
Secret executions continue in Mashad’s Vakilabad prison: Executions also during the holy month of Ramadan

Iran Human Rights, October 23: According reports from sources Iran Human Rights (IHR) has been in contact several groups of prisoners in Mashhad’s Vakilabad prison have been executed secretly during the months of August and September 2011.

All together at least 19 executions have been reported and confirmed in this period.

Seven of the confirmed executions were conducted on August 11. Coinciding with the 11th day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It has been claimed that executions are not conducted in the month of Ramadan in Iran. But IHR has previously reported executions in the month of Ramadan.

However, the executions in the month of Ramadan are not announced by the Iranian authorities.

 

Another group of seven prisoners were secretly executed on September 20, and at least five prisoners were executed in the period of August-September 2011. Details about the latter group are being investigated.

According to these reports all these prisoners had drug-related charges. Families of the prisoners have not been informed prior to the executions and it is not known whether they had access to lawyers.

IHR and other human rights groups have previously published several reports about the secret executions in the Vakilabad prisonand several other prisoners.

Secret executions were also mentioned in the recent report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Mr. Ahmed Shaheed. According to this report, Iranian authorities reportedly conducted more than 300 secret executions at Vakilabad prison in 2010. The report further says: "Vakilabad officials, in violation of Iranian law, allegedly carried out the executions without the knowledge or presence of the inmates’ lawyers or families and without prior notification to those executed".