The Fate of Saman Naseem and Other Prisoners of Uremia Is still Unclear

HRANA News Agency – Despite many reports and speculation regarding the status of Saman Naseem, Sirvan Naxhavi, Ibrahim Shapoori, Ali Afshari, Habihollah Afshari and Younes Aghayan, prisoners of Uremia prison who are facing death sentences and have disappeared since five days ago, the officials are still not providing clear information regarding their status. This behavior caused concerns about the fate of these prisoners.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Saman Naseem, Sirvan Naxhavi, Ibrahim Shapoori (Eisa poor), Ali Afshari, Habihollah Afshari and Younes Aghayan have been transferred from their cells to an unknown location, on Wednesday February 18.

Different governments and also UN rapporteurs, alongside with international organizations like International Amnesty and Human Rights Watch repetitively warned about the execution of these people, specifically Saman Naseem who was only 17 when he was arrested, and asked for halting the sentence.

Nevertheless, after these prisoners were taken from their cells in ward number 12 of Uremia prison and judicial and security officials avoided from providing any informatory and publicizing statement or comment regarding their status, speculation about the execution of these prisoners started by media. Though, first degree relatives cannot confirm these speculations or their death.

An informed source told HRANA’s reporter, “a member of intelligence service has told one of Habibollah and Ali Afshari’s second degree relatives, that execution of these prisoners along with three other political prisoners has been carried out”. Nonetheless, none of the Afshari family members has been informed directly.

Other sources told HRANA, “the relatives of Younes Aghayan are intended to hold a funeral, but it is not clear from which they have been informed about the execution”.

A close source to Ibrahim Shapoori, the other disappeared prisoner told HRANA’s reporter, “we have no information regarding his status and nobody has called us”.

The brother of Saman Naseem told HRANA’s reporter, “we do not have any information about his condition, but we have been told to go and collect his personal accessories and belongings”.

Need to be mentioned, during these days the phone calls of Uremia prisoners are limited, landline phones of prison are disrupted and other channels of prisoners are down, due to installation of new jamming and static transmitter equipment. These series of incidents have raised the level on tension and concerns.

In past few days, Amnesty International condemned the behavior of Iranian regime for refusal of providing the families with information and keeping them uninformed about the fate of their family members, and requested for accepting the responsibility about the fate of these six prisoners and asked for an immediate and clear response.