Iran: 53 executions in one week

Iran Human Rights, May 21: According to the Iranian state media 18 people were executed in four different Iranian cities yesterday and today. Thus Iranian authorities have confirmed execution of 30 prisoners during the last seven days. In addition IHR has received reports of 23 executions that have not been announced by the official Iranian media.

Iran Human Rights strongly condemned the execution wave going on in Iran and urged the international community to react. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR said: "We are puzzled by the silence of the international community despite the fact that about 50 people have been executed in Iran just in one week".

More than 80% of all those who are executed in Iran are convicted of drug trafficking, who are tried buy the revolutionary courts behind the closed doors.

The spokesperson of IHR asked the UN to reconsider its cooperation with the Iranian authorities and siad: "We know that the UN and several Western countries cooperate with the Iranian authorities in order to fight "drug trafficking". Many of those arrested as a consequence of this cooperation are executed. World community must condemn these executions and stop any cooperation with Iran until they are 100% assured that their cooperation doesn’t contribute to the Iranian regime’s execution policy".

14 PRISONERS EXECUTED IN TEHRAN TODAY:

According to the state run Iranian news agency ISNA 14 prisoners were executed in one of the prisons of Tehran early this morning.

All those executed today were convicted of drug trafficking. Names of those executed today will be published in a short while.

TWO PEOPLE EXECUTED IN SANANDAJ (IRANIAN KURDESTAN) YESTERDAY MAY 20:

The state run Iranian news agency Fars reported that two prisoners identified as "S.R." and "V.A." were hanged in the prison of Sanandaj yesterday morning. Both the prisoners were convicted of rape and robbery.

ONE PRISONER EXECUTED IN SARI (NORTHERN IRAN):

According to the official web site of the Iranian judiciary in Mazandaran, one prisoner was hanged in the prison of Sari (northern Iran) yesterday morning. The prisoner who was not identified by name, was convicted of trafficking of 50 kilos of opium, said the report.

ONE PRISONER HANGED IN THE PRISON OF KERMANSHAH:

According to the Kurdish news agwncy Kurdpa, a Kurdish prisoner by the name of "Hiva Havas" was hanged in the Dizelabad prison of Kermanshah yesterday morning. The report didn’t mention on what charges the prisoner was sentenced to death, but mentioned that he had previously been arrested in connection with the 2009 post-electoral protests.

This report has not been announced by the official Iranian sources.

Source: Iran Human Rights, May 21, 2012