Secret Mass Executions Resume in Vakilabad Prison

Iran Human Rights: According to reports from reliable sources in Iran, as many as 400 prisoners may have been executed in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad. According to the sources, there have been secret executions of prisoners taking place every Wednesday and Sunday, and sometimes up to three times a week. No detailed information is available on the amount of prisoners executed, but at least on one occasion the number of executions were as high as 50 people. Sources say that up to 400 prisoners may have been executed in the past four or five months.

Sources say weekly executions are still taking place.

The information on these executions has been confirmed by two independent sources. Iran Human Rights (IHR) will publish more details when available.

IHR and several other human rights organizations warned in September 2010 about secret mass executions in Vakilabad Prison. According to IHR’s annual reports on the death penalty in Iran, at least 226 prisoners were executed in 2010 and 133 prisoners were executed in 2011. More than 200 additional reported executions were not included in the reports due to lack of details.

Iran saw a temporary halt in executions in late 2011 as a result of international attention on the issue.

IHR urges the international community to react to reports of secret mass executions in Vakilabad Prison. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR said: "We ask the UN to conduct a fact-finding mission in Iran to urgently investigate reports of mass executions in Vakilabad Prison."