Five Prisoners Executed in Qezel Hesar Prison; Report of the Execution of Three Prisoners
4-October-2024
Category: executions
October 3, 2024
News Category: Execution
Breathing in Confinement: At dawn on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at least five prisoners were executed in Qezel Hesar Prison. Two prisoners, Afghan nationals, were executed on charges of “rape,” two others for “drug-related crimes,” and one prisoner for “murder.” Another prisoner was granted a reprieve at the gallows to seek the consent of the victim’s family.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, at least five prisoners were executed at dawn on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, in Qezel Hesar Prison.
The identities of three of these prisoners, Hamzeh Shahbazi, Fazlollah Pournasiri, and Behnam Hossein Dastjerdi, have been confirmed by Breathing in Confinement. In addition to these three prisoners, the Rokna news agency reported the execution of two Afghan nationals in Qezel Hesar Prison on the same day, which previously reported by Breathing in Confinement.
According to an informed source reporting to Breathing in Confinement, Fazlollah Pournasiri, from Kuhdasht, had been arrested five years ago on charges related to “drug crimes” and was later sentenced to death. He was buried in Behesht Zahra cemetery in Kuhdasht (Gorab) on Thursday, October 3, 2024. Hamzeh Shahbazi, from Tehran, was also arrested on “drug-related charges,” and Behnam Hossein Dastjerdi, married and from Tehran, had been arrested earlier on charges of “murder” and sentenced to death. These three individuals, along with another prisoner convicted of murder, were transferred to solitary confinement on Monday, September 30, for the execution of their sentences. The fourth prisoner accused of murder was returned to the general ward.
As of the time of this report, the execution of these prisoners has not been announced by official resources.
According to the annual report of the Statistics Center of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, at least 848 citizens were executed in 2023. Of these, 7 were executed in public. 57 percent of the executions were for drug related charges.