Iran Human Rights Condemns Execution of Iranian Border Guards

One of the five Iranian border guards held hostage by the militant group Jaish al-Adl has been executed. Iran Human Rights (IHR) strongly condemns execution of the Iranian guard and warns against retaliatory execution of Baluchi prisoners by the Iranian authorities.

Iran Human Rights, March 24, 2014: The militant group Jaish al-Adl has executed one of the five Iranian border guards they have been holding hostage for the pas six weeks, reported the group on its news website and twitter account yesterday March 23.

The news has now been confirmed by the Iranian official news sources. 1452102_258328827683292_589221458_n

According to the Jaish al-Adl’s news website “edaalatnews”, the guard was identified as Jamshid Danaeefar, and was executed as “retribution” for the death of Baluchi prisoner “Ali Naroui” who was reportedly killed as a result of torture in the Urmia prison (northwestern Iran) in February 2014.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) strongly condemns execution of Jamshid Danaeefar by Jaish al-Adl. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR said: ” The inhumane treatment of the Baluchi prisoners by the Iranian authorities can not justify this brutal act”. He added: ”Death penalty is an inhumane and barbaric punishment and must be condemned regardless of whoever commits it”.

IHR also warns against retaliatory executions of more Baluchi prisoners in the Iranian prisons. On October 26th 2013, 16 Baluchi prisoners were executed in the prison of Zahedan (capital of Baluchestan Province) in response to killing of 14 Iranian border guards the day before. Jaish al-Adl claimed the responsibility for the border attack.

According to IHR’s annual report on the death penalty in Iran, at least 57 prisoners were executed in 2013 in the province of Baluchestan, and prison of Zahedan was one of the prisons with the highest number of secret or unannounced executions in 2013.