Under the Shadow of Death: List of 30 Death Row Prisoners in One of the Poorest Cities in Iran

June 9, 2017, 1:10 p.m.

Iran Human Rights (JUNE 8 2017): Thirty prisoners in Zabol Central Prison are reportedly in imminent danger of execution after their death sentences were confirmed by Iran's Supreme Court. 

Zabol, located in the province of Sistan & Baluchestan, is one of the poorest cities in Iran. Zabol Central Prison is located in the southern part of the city and hundreds of prisoners are held here.

There are multiple worrying reports from the prison of the ill-treatment of prisoners by the prison officials, frequent water outages, overcrowdedness, lack of air conditioning, and poor-quality and lack of food. On May 16, 2017, a prisoner by the name of Ramezan Koohkan reportedly died in Zabol Central Prison after receiving rough treatment by the head of prison security and suffering a concussion. 

"About 80% of the prisoners in this prison are Sunni, but all the prison guards and authorities are Shia. This has caused numerous problems in the prison," a prisoner in Zabol Central Prison tells Iran Human Rights. 

About 60% of the prisoners in Zabol Central Prison are held on drug related charges, and many of them are on death row. At the current time, the death sentences of 30 prisoners in this prison have been confirmed by the Supreme Court. These prisoners are on death row for various charges, including murder, drug trafficking, or kidnapping. According to unconfirmed reports, three of these prisoners were under the age of 18 at the time of their arrest. The 30 prisoners may be executed at any moment. 

The names and identities of the 30 prisoners in imminent danger of execution: 

  1. Karim Ashtarak, 43 years of age. Imprisoned for the past three and a half years on drug related charges.
     
  2. Gholam-Mohammad Nourzehi, 50 years of age. Imprisoned for the past nine years on drug related charges.
     
  3. Hashem Sanchouli, 25 years of age. Imprisoned for the past four years on the charge of Moharebeh (enmity against God) through armed drug trafficking. 
     
  4. Ahmad-Ali Chopoulzehi, 25 years of age. Imprisoned for the past four years on drug related charges. 
     
  5. Amir Reigi, 60 years of age. Imprisoned for the past eight years on drug related charges. 
     
  6. Abdolnabi Alizehi, 45 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on drug related charges. 
     
  7. Nouraloddin Teymouri, 28 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on drug related charges. 
     
  8. Nessar-Ahmad Golebacheh, 29 years of age. Imprisoned for the past 18 months on drug related charges. 
     
  9. Shahghassem Golebacheh, 19 years of age. Imprisoned for the past 18 months on drug related charges. 
     
  10. Heydar Golebacheh, 25 years of age. Imprisoned for the past 18 months on drug related charges. 
     
  11. Khodadad Narouie, 55 years of age. Imprisoned for the past 20 years on murder charges. 
     
  12. Javid Karim Koshteh. 21 years of age. Imprisoned for the past three years on murder charges. 
     
  13. Hossein Karim Koshteh, 20 years of age. Imprisoned for the past four years on murder charges. 
     
  14. Jomeh Rakhshani, 55 years of age. Imprisoned for the past nine years on drug related charges. 
     
  15. Nour-Ahmad Gavkhoreh, 26 years of age. Imprisoned for the past three years on drug related charges. 
     
  16. Adel Shiranzehi, 25 years of age. Imprisoned for the past three years and four months on murder charges. 
     
  17. Mohammmad Saravandi, 45 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on drug related charges. 
     
  18. Yousef Reigi, 30 years of age. Imprisoned for the past four years on drug related charges. 
     
  19. Nematollah Barahouie, 32 years of age. Imprisoned for the past two years and a half on drug related charges.
     
  20. Parviz Mirbaluchzehi, 36 years of age. Imprisoned for the past four years on murder charges. 
     
  21. Javad Ghassemi, 34 years of age. Imprisoned for the past eleven years on murder charges. 
     
  22. Mehdi Eyrouzaie, 34 years of age. Imprisoned for the past six years on murder charges. 
     
  23. Mojtaba Ansari, 34 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on kidnapping charges. 
     
  24. Vali Yousefzehi, 23 years of age. Imprisoned for the past six years on drug related charges. 
     
  25. Min Mirzaie, 26 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on kidnapping charges. 
     
  26. Hamed Sanchouli, 26 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on kidnapping charges.
     
  27. Eghbal Shahvezehi, 24 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on kidnapping charges. 
     
  28. Ma’aloddin Shahvezehi, 36 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on kidnapping charges. 
     
  29. Mehdi Dousti, 33 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on kidnapping charges. 
     
  30. Mojtaba Sarani, 23 years of age. Imprisoned for the past five years on kidnapping charges.