A Human Rights Organization Warns of Widespread Executions in Iran Amid War Conditions with Israel

The Iran Human Rights Organization reported on Thursday, October 4, that the death sentence of a prisoner named Vahid Norouzi, who was convicted of "premeditated murder," was carried out on Wednesday, October 3, in Mashhad Central Prison (Vakilabad). The organization also warned of widespread executions of prisoners in the context of war conditions with Israel. According to a knowledgeable source, "Vahid Norouzi was arrested two years ago on charges of premeditated murder and sentenced to death. He was from the Mehrabad area of Mashhad and was accused of committing murder with a firearm in defense of a girl who was being harassed." The Iran Human Rights Organization emphasized that "the lack of categorization for premeditated murder in Iran leads to any type of murder, regardless of severity and motive, resulting in a death sentence." The organization reported that at least 72 people were executed in Iran from September 1 to September 30 of this year, bringing the total number of executions in the first eight months of the year to at least 478. Among those executed in September were a child offender and five Afghan citizens, with 35 of the executions related to premeditated murder, 35 related to drug offenses, and two related to "moharebeh" (waging war against God), who were executed in public. This independent human rights organization previously reported on October 1 that at least 12 prisoners, including two Baluch prisoners, who were sentenced to death or qisas (retribution) for various charges such as "moharebeh," drug-related offenses, "rape," and "premeditated murder," were transferred to solitary confinement in Ghezal Hesar Prison in Karaj, Saravan, and Semnan Central Prison for execution. According to the report, three of these prisoners named Dashtgir Sasouli, Nasser Jamshidi, and Rashid Sepahi were executed. The Iran Human Rights Organization noted that on October 1, Iranian media reported without naming that two prisoners were executed in Kerman Central Prison who had been arrested on charges of "rape" and sentenced to death. Additionally, on the same day, the death sentence of a prisoner named Meysam Mozaffari, who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was carried out in Kashan Prison. The Iran Human Rights Organization pointed out that "since the beginning of Masoud Pezeshkian's presidency on July 31, at least 179 people (an average of nearly 3 per day) have been executed." The organization warned of the widespread executions of prisoners amid war conditions with Israel. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, director of the Iran Human Rights Organization, stated: "Past experiences show that the Islamic Republic increases repression and executions during external crises. The goal of the executions is to instill fear and prevent protests, as the government knows well that the greatest threat to the regime's existence is the Iranian people demanding their fundamental rights." He added that "under current conditions, the danger of widespread executions of prisoners is very serious," stating: "The lives of hundreds of prisoners are at risk in the coming months. The people of Iran, human rights organizations, and the global community must pay more attention to executions and prevent widespread executions through civil campaigns and raising political costs." The 36th week of the "Tuesdays Against the Death Penalty" campaign for protesting prisoners in 22 prisons in Iran previously announced on October 1 that more than 23 people were executed in the first ten days of October alone. This campaign's recent statement described the execution of two individuals in public in Khomein on October 1 as a "medieval act." Furthermore, from September 15 to September 24, 20 people were executed in Shiraz prison within a ten-day period. The prisoners involved in this campaign reminded that the government resorts to increasing executions to hide its weaknesses amid international crises. The statement warned that given the critical situation in Iran, there is a possibility of an increase in executions in the coming weeks. The protesting prisoners against the death penalty in 22 prisons expressed their concerns about the status of those sentenced to death, emphasizing that "they are the first subjects to compensate for the failures and weaknesses of the regional and international religious dictatorship ruling our homeland." The prisoners involved in this campaign invited all independent and free domestic and international human rights activists to "be the voice of the prisoners sentenced to death so that they are not executed in media silence." Previously, several Nobel Peace Prize laureates, in a joint letter supporting the "Tuesdays Against the Death Penalty" campaign, called for the cessation of the "inhumane death penalty" by the Islamic Republic in Iran. According to these global human rights advocates, the "Tuesdays Against the Death Penalty" campaign has managed to attract the attention of other civil activists and human rights defenders in Iran in a short time, who have since joined this movement. The reasons for the increase in executions in Iran amid escalating tensions with Israel, from the perspective of Esfandiar Aban, the wife of Vafa Azbar, called for public support to retrieve the body of her husband and three other Kurdish prisoners. A discussion with Hassan Nayeb-Hashem, a physician and human rights defender, about the sharp increase in the implementation of death sentences in Iran. Human rights sources reported the execution of three prisoners in Iran. Support from nine Nobel Peace Prize laureates for the "Tuesdays Against the Death Penalty" campaign. Italy's request for a review of the death sentence of Sharifeh Mohammadi. Execution of two individuals in public in Khomein. Families of several executed individuals in Iran filed complaints with the United Nations.