Monthly report on human rights violations, labor accidents, and protest rallies in Iran from May 20 to June 20, 2022
29-June-2022
Category: executions، Freedom of Expression، Prisoners
The Statistics Center of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran (Breathing in Confinement) has published its monthly report on human rights violations, labor accidents, and protest rallies held by various groups of people.
– Execution of at least 101 prisoners
– Detention of political and trade union activists, and protesters
– Issuance the sentences of a total of 842 lashes
– Death and injury of at least 98 workers a result of non-compliance of workplaces with safety standards
Execution of the death sentences
Concurrently with escalation of widespread protests against the economic situation, the government of Iran has intensified its intimidation measures with a massive wave of executions.
Over the past month, at least 101 prisoners were hanged in Iranian prisons. The number of executions in the past month has dramatically increased compared to the monthly rates over the past few years. With last year, during the same period, 12 prisoners were executed.
The number of executions in the past month, shows a rise of 741% compared to the same period in the last year (May 20 – June 20, 2021).
The dramatic rise in the number of executions is directly related to the increase in peoples’ dissatisfaction, the spread of protests and the inability of the authorities of the Islamic Republic to resolve the growing social and economic crises.
In addition, the unprecedented increase in the number of executions is an obvious characteristic of the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi, a member of the Death Committee in the massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988.
In the last month, the highest number of executions carried out respectively on the charge of “murder” with 55 cases, “drugs” with 36 cases, “rape” with 7 cases and “political” charges with 3 cases.
Out of 101 executions last month, state media covered only eight. The rest of the executions were carried out secretly and were disclosed by human rights activists.
Widespread executions have raised concerns about human rights abuses in Iran.
At least four women were executed last month.
In terms of geographical spread, the highest number of executions was 21 in Karaj, 19 in Sistan and Baluchestan, and 8 in Shiraz, respectively.
Among those executed was the political prisoner, Majed Mamouri. He had been accused of killing a security guard in a clash when Majed protested the arrest of his brother.
Ghadir Naseri, a “child-accused” of murder, was 17 years old at the time of his arrest.
Mehdi Kiani, a conscript in Kermanshah, was arrested for the murder of his superior and was executed in Kermanshah prison.
Political prisoner, Firuz Musaloo was secretly executed in Urmia Prison on June 20 on charges of membership in a Kurdish party.
As the executions are mostly carried out in secret without being reported by the state media, the actual number of executions is usually higher than what has been reported by human rights activists. The names of a number of those executed between April 20 and May 20, 2022, were revealed through the efforts of human rights activists a month later.
Issued death sentences
Last month, at least five death sentences were handed down. Iman Sabzikar was sentenced to death for the second time by Branch 1 of the Fars Province Criminal Court on charges of murdering a police officer.
According to Rokna news agency, another defendant named Mahmoud was sentenced to death by Branch 10 of the Criminal Court 1 in Tehran on charges of murdering a police officer.
Also, according to the state media, Abdul Latif Moradi had been sentenced to death for the murder of two mullahs in Mashhad, and his case had been referred to the Supreme Court for appeal. He, however, was suddenly executed on June 20.
Another defendant was also sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Alborz Criminal Court on murder charges.
Detentions
Over the past month, at least 228 people were arrested under various pretexts.
Teachers’ protests continued to be suppressed and at least 68 teachers’ union activists were arrested by security forces. Simultaneously with calling for nationwide rallies to protest the non-implementation of the ranking plan and to reiterate the teachers’ other demands, including the release of imprisoned teachers, security agents detained a number of teachers ahead of the nationwide protest. A number of other teachers were also detained at the rally site.
In addition, some social media activists and labor activists were also among those arrested this month.
According to the Chief Justice of Mazandaran Province, 120 participants in the “Pei Raja” forest tour were arrested on charges of women taking off their hijabs as well as men and women dancing together in Neka.
Last month, Gol Agha Naroui, a drug-related prisoner, died of cardiac arrest in Birjand Prison. Javad Amirkhani Tusi, 70, accused of murder, also died in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj due to having been denied medical care.
Thus, since the beginning of 1401 Persian Year (March 20, 2022 until now), at least 5 prisoners have lost their lives due to the poor condition of prisons and the lack of necessary medical care and inaction or intention of the authorities.
Issuance and execution of imprisonment sentences
Last month, sentences of a total of 201 years and 5 days in prison were handed down to 50 activists of whom, 17 have already been detained and sent to prison to serve their sentences.
Twenty-six Baha’is were sentenced by Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court to 85 years in prison in addition to the ban on social rights as well as deportation to other cities.
Eight Christian converts were sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison. And seven political activists also were sentenced to a total of 38 years and 11 months in prison.
The Court of Appeals in Tehran upheld the 16-year prison sentence for Amir Hossein Moradi and Ali Younesi, two elite students at Sharif University of Technology.
Eleven political activists, a number of Baha’i citizens, a labor activist, a writer and a journalist were also arrested to carry out their sentences.
Issuance of whipping sentences
In the past month, the inhumane sentence of flogging was issued in several cases.
A Turk activist Hojjat Esmatzadeh was sentenced to 50 lashes in Branch 101 of the Criminal Court in Naqadeh.
Two financial defendants also received sentences of 120 lashes from Special Financial Crimes Court.
Several financial defendants were also sentenced by Branch 5 of the 2nd Criminal Court of Tehran Province to a total of 672 lashes.
Thus, the total number of lashes issued last month reached 842.
Work accidents
According to the Statistics Center of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, during the past month, at least 32 workers were killed and 177 others were injured in various work-related accidents. Only in the past one month, the government’s failure to comply with occupational safety standards resulted in the death of 30 workers in accidents such as falls, unequipped entry into gas and sewage storages, electric shocks, collapses of wells and mining tunnels, and fires.
Iran is ranked 102nd in the world in terms of compliance with occupational safety standards.
Dismissal of workers
Following the closure of the Faryab Chromite Mining Company, 1,300 miners faced unemployment and livelihood problems since May 22. Faryab chromite mines are in Asimon section of Manojan city and recently a letter was published regarding power outage and complete closure of this complex.
Gatherings and protest rallies
At least 380 protest rallies were held in the past one month.
Social security retirees staged the highest number of protests with 141 rallies. Retirees protested the government’s decision to increase their salaries by only 10 percent (much lower than inflation rate). The retirees, in addition to pursuing their other demands, emphasized the release of imprisoned teachers.
Regime repressive agents attacked protesting retirees in Tehran and arrested a number of them. The protest rally of retirees in Rasht also was attacked by law enforcement and security agents.
Various groups of people staged demonstrations and gatherings in more than 66 cities and rural areas to pursue their demands and to protest the skyrocketing prices, poor living conditions, and environmental problems.
People in some cities also protested and condemned the government’s role in the collapse of Metropol Tower in Abadan and announced their solidarity with the people of Abadan. These protest rallies in some cities including Shiraz, Ahvaz and Abadan were attacked by repressive government agents who shot at the protesters.
Last month, after the end of the students’ final exams and following the call of the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Unions of Iran, the teachers resumed their protests on June 16, against the non-consideration of their demands. In Rasht, a number of teachers were arrested at the beginning of the rally. In addition, a teacher was arrested in Delfan.
In some cities, including Saqqez and Sanandaj, some of the teachers were summoned or arrested before the rallies began. And in some cases, they were forced to sign a written undertaking on not to participate in the protests.
Following the announcement of the government’s economic policy under the heading of the so called “economic surgery” which led to an unprecedented rise in the exchange rate and taxes, merchants and shopkeepers in various cities went on strike and closed their shops and participated in demonstrations and rallies to protest the government’s economic policies. They held a total of 32 rallies or demonstrations.
Other groups of people, including workers, farmers, public transport drivers, doctors, other employees, students, people who experienced financial loses in investing or depositing their hard-earned money in government agencies, also held rallies and demonstrations to protest the current situation and to demand their rights.