World Day against Death Penalty: 257 Executions in the Past One Year in Iran
19-October-2018
Category: executions
Breathing in Confinement – At least 257 prisoners have been executed in Iran in the past one year.
The Center of Statistics of Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran (PRLI) has published a report on the occasion of World Day against Death Penalty which indicates the execution of at least 257 prisoners from 10 October 2017 to 5 October 2018.
The state-run media have only reported 69 executions in this period of time which is 27% of the whole number and the rest has been reported by independent human rights organizations and news agencies.
172 prisoners were charged with murder. 21 others were executed on drug offences, 18 men were hanged on charged of raping, 2 were charged with Muharebeh, 9 were executed for armed robbery, 2 were charged with corruption on earth and 8 men were executed on charge of taking part in a terrorist attack on the parliament. 8 political prisoners were also executed in the past one year.
15 prisoners were executed in public in different cities.
There were also 3 women among the executed prisoners.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has kept on executing juvenile offenders in this year, too. At least 5 prisoners who had been sentenced to death for the crimes they had allegedly committed when they were under 18 were executed in the past one year.
There were also 7 prisoners from Afghanistan and 1 man from Pakistan who have been executed in this period of time.
During the past one year, Mohammad Salsa, one of the Gonabadi Dervishes who had been arrested during security forces’ raid to the house of their Qutb in 7th Golestan Street of Tehran, was executed in Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj.
Mohammad Salas was criticized strongly by the international human rights organizations. His death sentence was issued and implemented in an unfair and ambiguous due process while he insisted on his innocence many times.
After that 3 Baluch political prisoners with the names of Dor Mohammad Shahbakhsh, Esmail Shahbakhsh and Hayatollah Nootizehi were executed oin Zahedan Central Prison.
During the past year Zaniar Moradi, Loghman Moradi and Ramin Hossein Panahi, 3 Kurdish political prisoners were also executed in Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj.
These executions faced wide criticism across the country and the whole world. The Kurdish cities went on a one-day-long strike to protest against these executions and dozens of Kurdish activists were arrested.
International organizations such as Amnesty International and United Nations’ Special Rapporteurs also condemned the execution of these 3 political prisoners.
You can download the P.D.F version of this report here: 257 Execution in the Past One Year in Iran