Iranian Authorities Executed Over 30 People in 2 Weeks

Iranian Authorities Executed Over 30 People in Two Weeks; Two Brothers Hanged Today

"United Nations, Send Special Rapporteur Immediately!"

The 2010 Foreign & Commonwealth Office report on human rights released on March 31 of this year stated the number of executions in 2010 in Iran totaled more than 650 people, including a victim who did not even know that he had been sentenced to death. The annual Iran Human Rights’s (IHR) report indicated that 200 additional executions were not accounted for in 2010 due to lack of precise information. Despite the alarming numbers, on April 2, 2011, Iranian authorities executed one man in the southwestern region of the country for Moharebeh (enmity against God), a charge most often issued to the country’s political, ethnic, and religious minority groups. Moharebeh is a capital offence and carries the consequences of a long prison sentence and/or death. Usually, a person charged with Moharebeh is also condemned for, associating with opposition or separatist groups, propagandizing against the state, or attempting to overthrow or undermine the government. The 2010 Foreign & Commonwealth report stated that the "vague and political nature of the charge makes any case very difficult to defend, and in a number of instances, the Ministry of Intelligence reportedly pushed for swift and harsh judgment on the accused."

There was at least 18 executions carried out in Iran this April, according to the country’s official media sources. So far, in May, there have been at least 33 executions carried out in the last two weeks, based on published reports by IHR. A few of these executed prisoners were also juvenile offenders. The international spokesperson for IHR, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said recently, "The executions are meant to spread fear among the young Iranians who want fundamental changes in Iran. We are concerned that the number of executions will increase as we approach the anniversary of Iran’s summer 2009 post-election protests. Iranian government leaders should be held responsible for these crimes."

The most recent of these executions occurred on May 17th in Isfahan prison. Two young men, brothers Mohammad and Abdollah Fathi were hanged for Moharebeh. Their family members have said that the brothers endured severe physical and psychological torture to accept the false charges against them. Their father told thInternational Campaign for Abolishing the Death Penalty in Iran (ICADPI)groupe , “Throughout the entire judicial process, my sons were deprived of all of their basic lawful rights, like the right to have an attorney and the right to defend themselves.”

Numerous human rights organizations and analysts have expressed fears of more executions to be carried out in the near future, in particular for Kurdish political prisoners Shirko Moarefi and Habibollah Latifi who are both charged with Moharebeh. Their case files are currently in the possession of the authorities at the Execution of Sentences Circuit in Kurdistan. This means that their sentences may be executed any day.

The Iranian authorities continue to use the death penalty and kill the most people per capita than any other country in the world. Many of the executed prisoners were tried behind closed doors and without access to a lawyer. There are also numerous reports of torture to give false confessions. A United Nations Special Rapporteur to visit Iran for investigation is needed immediately.

State officials and the media are strongly urged to take quick action to aid in halting the overwhelming amount of executions in Iran to prevent further crimes to be committed against humanity.

CONTACT

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam International spokesperson of Iran Human Rights (IHR)

Telephone: +47 91742177 E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://iranhr.net/