Respect for human rights as a universal value is now considered an important indicator in the evaluation of governments around the world. In Iran, human rights are routinely severely violated in the inhumane Iranian regime headed by supreme leader Ali Khamenei. This piece highlights the extent of the repression in Iran and the judicial performance of the regime in May 2022.

Execution:

Last month, at least 79 people were executed across Iran in various prisons. The age of those executed was between 19 and 50 years, with prisoners being charged for crimes including murder, drug offenses, and being identified as a ‘moharebeh’.

The disaggregated statistics of executions are as follows:

  • Ordinary male prisoners: 73
  • Ordinary female prisoners: 4
  • Child offenders: 2

The executions that took place last month were carried out in the following prisons: Isfahan Central Prison; Central Zanjan; Central Mashhad; Saveh; Central Karaj; Damghan; Zabol; Chabahar; Gohardasht; Central Zahedan; Qarchak Varamin; Amol; Shirvan; Minab; Central Shiraz; Central Birjand; Central Yazd; Central Qom; Central Khorramabad; Iranshahr; and Sabzevar.

Executed child offenders:

Farshad Gomshadzehi was arrested at the age of 17 back in 2020. He was executed in Zahedan Central Prison on May 14. The following day, Mihrab Salehi was hanged on the charge of murder in Yazd Central Prison. Salehi was arrested in December 2019. The family of the man he had killed demanded 1,5 billion rials as blood money but Salehi’s family was unable to obtain this amount.

Executed women:

On May 7, an unnamed woman was executed on drug charges in Zahedan prison, while a woman named Hayati was executed in Shiraz Central Prison on May 22 on the charge of murder. A day later, another unnamed woman was executed in Amol prison. Laden Molla Saeedi, imprisoned under the charge of murder was hanged in Qarchak Prison on May 25.

Executed men:

Retired teacher Ghobad Khodakarami was executed for the charges of murder in Khorramabad Central Prison on May 7.

Abbas and Ali Pajmordeh were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on May 8, on charges of carrying drugs and weapons after spending five years in prison.

Mohammad Bamri was executed in Iranshahr prison on May 14 for murder. Bamri denied the charge during interrogation. His plaintiff requested payment of 1 billion rials in exchange for consent, but Bamri’s family was unable to pay this amount.

21-year-old Ahmad Gashoul was executed in Isfahan Central Prison on May 19. In November 2019, when he was trying to help two prisoners escape, he killed a prison guard.

Ismail Shebakhsh, a 50-year-old man from the Baluchzehi clan, was executed in Zahedan Central Prison on May 21, on drug charges after three years in prison. He denied the drug charges against him in court, but the judge sentenced him to death without considering his defense.

A married father of four, Abdolbari Rigi, aged 32, was executed on May 22 on charges of drugs in Shiraz Central Prison after 3 years of imprisonment. Shiraz prison authorities did not inform Abdolbari’s family about his execution in advance so they were unable to see him one final time.

Mossadegh Mallahi was executed in Minab prison on May 23 on drug charges. His sentence was carried out without prior notice to the family for the final visit.

Ramin Arab was executed in Gohardasht prison on May 25 on charges of moharebeh through armed robbery. He had severely self-harmed before being executed and was subsequently taken to the hospital.

Suppression and arrest of citizens during the recent protests:

According to the statistics that could be obtained, at least 692 people were arrested during protests last month. It is noteworthy that due to recent protests due to the skyrocketing prices and the collapse of the Metropol building in Abadan, the official number of detainees should be much higher than this number.

During teachers’ protests, 82 people were arrested, in connection with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Some people were arrested during the protests of bus drivers in Tehran and the suburbs of Tehran, while others were arrested to carry out prison sentences.

Arbitrary arrests:

At least 42 people were arbitrarily arrested on charges of committing illegal acts, performing street music, and wearing inappropriate clothing.

The arrest of religious minorities:

Last month, seven Baha’is and Christians were arrested for serving prison sentences. Some of them were even arrested without a court order.

Torture:

39-year-old Mohsen Abbasi, from Kermanshah, was arrested by the Karaj Anti-Narcotics Headquarters and severely tortured by the officers. He was transferred to the quarantine ward of Buin Zahra Prison on May 5 but died from his injuries the following day.

Enayat Taghavi, a citizen of Souk, was taken to Dehdasht Hospital after being beaten during his detention. He was arrested at his home, by the regime’s security forces, in connection with protests over the high prices of goods and services in the country.

Sasan Zarghampour, Saeed Taheri, Kourosh Jalil, Nowruz Ali Rashidi, and Davood Malek Hosseini, who were all arrested during a teachers’ rally on May 12, were severely beaten during their detention, while four economic defendants were flogged in Langrood prison.

Psychological torture:

Abbas Vahedian Shahroudi, a political prisoner in Mashhad Central Prison, was denied access to medical services in addition to being denied the right to make any telephone calls or visits.

Fariba Asadi, a political prisoner in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, was barred from being sent to the hospital because of her opposition to being handcuffed.

A prisoner convicted of robbery, who had been sentenced to amputation, was transferred from Kermanshah Central Prison to Evin Prison for his sentence to be carried out. His fingers were amputated at Evin Prison Medical Center by a guillotine-like device.

Arbitrary Murder:

A Baluch citizen named Nazar Khakizehi (Adozehi) was killed by the regime’s police in the Kuhk Saravan border area, while in the Milk zero border area in Zabul, a Baluch teenager named Khalid Kharkoohi was also shot dead by the regime’s police.

A 30-year-old businessman named Keyvan Qandil, from the village of Darveh Kotar in the city of Sangsar in Sulaimaniyah province, was shot dead by the regime’s IRGC officers.

A citizen in Anbarabad, Kerman, was chased by the regime’s police and finally killed by direct shooting, while a 25-year-old Kolbar (cross-border labor) named Ako Rasouli was killed by direct fire from the Border Regiment officers in the border area of ​​Jangal Baneh Regiment.