In a significant and grim development, twenty prisoners, including thirteen Kurds and seven individuals of Baluch and Afghan descent, have been executed in Iran's Ghezel Hesar Prison, located in Karaj, northwest of Tehran. The executions were reported by the Norway-based Kurdish Hengaw Human Rights Organization, which stated that the prisoners faced charges of drug trafficking, murder, and sexual assault.

Execution Details

The Hengaw Organization has identified eleven of the executed Kurds as Shahab Maleki, Mehrdad Qambarbeigi, Mohammad Nazari, Ismail Sharafi, Shahryar Frootan, Frood Garavand (50), Mohammad Karami Kangavari, Abdullah Shahnavazi (45), and Khalil Nahtani (35). The report indicates that two of these individuals were convicted of murder, while the remaining nine faced death sentences for drug-related offenses.

In addition, four Afghan prisoners were executed, with three convicted of rape and one of murder. The Kurdish organization has noted that it lacks detailed information about the other nine executed individuals, who had been transferred from Rajaei Shahr Prison to Hall No. 3 of Ghezel Hesar Prison prior to their executions.

Background and Reactions

The prisoners were moved to solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar Prison over several stages last week, signaling the impending executions. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization had issued a warning about these executions a day before they were carried out, urging international attention and action.

In April, Amnesty International released a report highlighting that Iran executed 853 people in the past year, marking an eight-year high amidst a renewed crackdown on drug-related offenses and broader political repression. This surge in executions has drawn widespread condemnation from international human rights organizations, who argue that such punitive measures do not address the root causes of drug trafficking and related crimes.

Implications

The recent executions underscore Iran's ongoing use of the death penalty, particularly against ethnic minorities such as Kurds and Baluchs. Human rights groups continue to call for reforms in Iran's judicial system, advocating for fair trials and humane treatment of prisoners.

The international community is urged to respond to these developments, pressuring Iran to adhere to international human rights standards and reconsider its approach to crime and punishment.