Shaker Behrouz on a Hunger Strike in Urmia Prison

Political prisoner Shaker Behrouz has been on a hunger strike since June 13 in Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Behrouz’s hunger strike is in protest of his unjust death sentence and long-term detention in solitary confinement.

Behrouz became a member of one of the Iranian Kurdish opposition parties located in Iraq in 2018, but later that year, he got a safe-conduct letter and returned to Iran.

32-year-old Behrouz was first arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents in March 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison for membership in an opposition party (KDP).

Later, Branch 2 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Ali Sheikh Lou, further sentenced Mr. Behrouz to death on charges of armed rebellion through membership in an opposition party and the murder of a member of the Revolutionary Guards.

12 separate people testified that at the time of the murder, Behrouz was in a shop in Dizaj town of Urmia city, nowhere near the scene of the crime. However, the court refused to hear the witnesses’ statements and convicted him anyway.

An informed source additionally told HRANA that the victim’s family has stated they did not file a lawsuit against Mr. Behrouz and believe in his innocence. They are even willing to testify in court to that end.

Shaker Behrouz is the son of Salim, and a resident of the Dizaj region of Urmia city in West Azerbaijan Province.

Citizen Sentenced to Death under Qisas (Eye-for-an-Eye) Principle of Shariah Law

A citizen was recently sentenced to death under the Qisas (roughly translated as eye-for-an-eye) principle of Shariah Law.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the citizen was sentenced after confessing to the murder of two park rangers in Zanjan.

Hossein Absalan, Director-General of the Department of Environmental in Zanjan Province, said, “The accused in the murder of two park rangers has been sentenced to death by a verdict issued by the judge.”

Absalan further stated, “Based on the evidence, according to the Iranian Police Criminal Investigation Department of Zanjan, given the explicit confession of the arrested defendant to the murder of the two rangers, the judge has sentenced the defendant to death under Qisas.”

Shahin Mirkhani Executed in Shirvan Prison

On May 30, Shahin Mirkhani was executed in Shirvan Prison in North Khorasan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Iran Human Rights (IHR), 40-year-old Mirkhani, son of Rasoul, was previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

Per the report, an informed source said, “Shahin Mirkhani was sentenced to death for carrying 420 kilograms of crystal meth stimulant, and on Sunday was executed in the backyard of Shirvan Prison.”

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per-capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1st and  December 20th of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed. One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death.

According to the report, more than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary. Human rights organizations call these “secret executions.”

At the time of writing, Mirkhani’s execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Three sentenced to Death in Tehran Under Qisas (Eye-for-an-Eye) Principle of Shariah Law

In two isolated incidents, three citizens were sentenced to death in Tehran, all on charges of murder.

According to the HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna news,  death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court for two defendants who were sentenced under the Qisas (loosely translated as eye-for-an-eye) principle of Shariah Law.

The sentence was issued after 37-year-old Meysam, a shopkeeper, was stabbed to death in Varamin in Tehran.

In a separate incident, according to the Javanonline News, a defendant was sentenced to death for murder under the Qisas principle by the criminal court in Tehran province.

The victim’s wife and two murder suspects, all suspected of orchestrating the killing, were also sentenced to prison time.

 

 

Prisoner Executed in Mashhad on Charge of Rape

On the morning of May 19, a prisoner who was previously sentenced to death on a charge of rape was executed in Mashhad Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Khorasan newspaper, the 9-year-old child of a foreign national was kidnapped by a young motorcyclist in the outskirts of Mashad in February of last year. The kidnapper abducted the child by threatening him with a knife in front of his mother.

The kidnaper was identified and arrested after detectives found clues that showed he had formed a six-member gang to attack children and teenagers, especially working children.

A special team of detectives with members across operational and intelligence branches managed to arrest all members of the gang. After publishing an unveiled picture of the gang leader in the Khorasan newspaper, several Khorasan residents approached the Iranian Police Criminal Investigation Department, from whom 13 were able to identify the kidnapper and file a lawsuit against him.

Given the importance of the case, Judge Gholam-Ali Sadeghi, Chief Justice of Khorasan Razavi, issued special orders to expedite the investigation. The case was sent to Branch 6 of Criminal Court One to be processed, and the court sentenced the kidnapper to death. The sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court accordingly.

Ghasem. B. was hanged in Mashhad Central Prison on the morning of May 19.

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Prisoner Jamal Mohammadi Executed in Ilam Prison

On May 16th, Jamal Mohammadi was executed in Ilam Prison on a charge of murder under the Qisas (“eye for an eye”) principle of Shariah Law. The execution has not been announced by any Iranian media or official sources at the time of this writing.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on May 16th, Jamal Mohammadi  was executed after being sentenced to death by a court on a charge of murder.

About two years ago, during his military service in one of the barracks in Ilam, Mohammadi killed one of his superiors after a verbal conflict. The death sentence falls under the Qisas (loosely translated as “eye for an eye”) principle of Shariah Law.

According to international organizations, considering its population, Iran ranks first in the world in the execution of its citizens. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) reported that between January 1st and  December 20th of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed. One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death.

According to the report, more than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary. Human rights organizations call these “secret executions.”

Mohammadi was executed in the presence of his relatives. At the time of this writing, the execution has not been announced by any Iranian media or official sources.