Iran Executed another Kurdish Political Prisoner Sherko Moarefi
Sherko Moarefi, a Kurdish political prisoner, from Bana (located in Kurdistan province, western of Iran) aged 34, was sentenced to death by a branch of Revolutionary Court in Saghez after being convicted of "acting against the national security" and moharebeh (waging war against God) – vague charges that Iran has used against many political activists in recent years.
He was arrested in October 2008 on suspicion of being a member of a Kurdish opposition political party.
Iran has launched a campaign against Kurdish political activists. At least 15 other imprisoned Kurdish activists are on death row.
Moarefi was taken from his ward and taken to a cell on Sunday evening before he has been executed this morning.
34 year old Moarefi, from the Bane city, was arrested and sentenced to death on charges of “enmity against God” on 1 November 2007. His death sentence was confirmed twice on 14 November 2009 and 1 May 2011 but he wasn't executed due to public pressure.
Moarefi’s family have informed the Kurdistan Press Agency that they went to the Saghez prison to get permission to bury their son, but Iranian authorities refused to hand over the body of Moarefi to his family.
Moarefi’s family also stated that they had recently been in contact with Sherko and he had not mentioned anything about the possibility that he would be executed.
Moarefi’s lawyer, Khelil Behrami, said in an interview with the Kurdistan Press Agency that he had not been informed of the execution.
In the past two weeks there has been a surge of executions of Kurdish and Baloch political prisoners in Iran.
Fears are growing for the fate of a political activist in Iran who is facing imminent execution after being convicted of acting against national security.
