Iran Human Rights (JULY 12 2017): On the morning of Wednesday July 12, a prisoner was reportedly hanged at Urmia's central prison on murder charges, and two prisoners were reportedly hanged at Hamadan Central Prison on drug charges.
The two prisoners from Hamadan Prison were among a group of three prisoners who were transferred to solitary confinement on Sunday July 9 in preparation for their executions. Close sources have identified one of the prisoners who was executed as Samad Abdoli, but the identity of the other prisoner is not known at this time. The execution sentence for the other prisoner, Masoud Joodaki, was postponded for unknown reasons.
Iranian authorities are carrying out death sentences for drug related charges at the same time that a bill is being reviewed by the Judicial Commission of the Iranian Parliament calling for the death sentences for many prisoners charged with drug trafficking to be called off. Iranian parliament members had requested from the Judiciary to stop drug related executions for at least five thousand prisoners pending further investigation. However, the request has not stopped the Judiciary from carrying out death sentences for prisoners with drug related charges.
According to close sources, the prisoner who was executed at Urmia's central prison is Borzou Sheikhi. According to a report by the human rights news agency, HRANA, Mr. Sheikhi was a professor at the University of Urmia.
Iranian official sources, including the media and the Judiciary, have not announced these executions.