26 PRISONERS EXECUTED IN IRAN

Iran Human Rights, May 17: According to the official and unofficial reports 26 prisoners were executed in three different Iranian prisons yesterday and today.

Ten of the executions were announced by official Iranian media while 16 other executions were reported by a rights group.

SEVEN PRISONERS, AMONG THEM ONE WOMAN, EXECUTED IN KERMANSHAH (WESTERN IRAN):

According to the official site of the Iranian judiciary in Kermanshah seven prisoners were hanged in the central prison of this city early yesterday morning, May 16.

All the prisoners were convicted of drug-related charges said the report.

According to the report the prisoners executed yesterday in Kermanshah are identified as:

"A. A." (woman) for keeping and carrying 27 kilograms of heroin, "R. A." for participation in keeping and carrying 100 kilograms of morphine and 254 kilograms of opium, "Kh. Sh." for participation in keeping and carrying 57 kilograms of opium, "M. B." for participation in keeping and carrying 69 kilograms of opium, "A. S." for participation in keeping and carrying 4 kilos and 548 grams of morphine, "M. S."For participation in keeping and carrying narcotics (not specified in the report), and "M. Kh." for participation in keeping and carrying 1529 grams of crack.

THREE PRISONERS HANGED IN THE PRISON OF ARDEBIL (NORTHEASTERN IRAN): The official website of the Iranian judiciary in Ardebil (northeastern Iran) reported about execution of three prisoners in the prison of Ardebil this morning, Thursday May 17. According to the report the prisoners were convicted of buying and carrying 105 grams of heroin, 498,15 grams of heroin and 160 kilograms and 493 grams of opium. None of the prisoners were identified by their names.

16 PRISONERS (AMONG THEM FOUR WOMEN) WERE HANGED IN THE PRISON F YAZD (CENTRAL IRAN) ACCORDING TO UNOFFICIAL REPORT:

According to a report by the group "Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran" (HRDAI), 16 prisoners were hanged in the prison of Yazd early this morning Thursday May 17. According to the report there were four women among the prisoners executed today. The report also said that five of the 16 prisoners were Afghan citizens. One of the Afghan prisoners executed today was identified by "Mohammad Damardeh" (25 year old) son of Nour Mohammad originally imprisoned for illegal immigration to Iran but later the case changed to drug trafficking, said the report.

The executions in Yazd have still not been confirmed by the official Iranian sources.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) strongly condemns yesterday and today’s mass executions in the Iranian prisons. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR urged the international community to show strong reaction to the executions in Iran. He said: "The world must not get used to the executions in Iran. Most of the people executed in Iran haven’t been through fair trials and each of the executions must be condemned by the international community".