Concerns of German Amnesty International Over the Possible Execution of 4 Political Prisoners in Ahvaz

The German branch of Amnesty International announced in a statement that with the transfer of 4 political prisoners to solitary confinement in Ahvaz prison, there is a possibility of their execution in the coming days. According to this human rights organization, Ali Majdam, Moein Khonfari, Mohammad Reza Moghadam, and Adnan Ghabishavi are at risk of execution. The statement from Amnesty International Germany also noted that the situation of two other prisoners in the same case as these 4 political prisoners is unclear, and it is unknown whether Salim Mousavi and Habib Daris have also been transferred to separate cells. In recent days, reactions to the news of the possible execution of 4 political prisoners in Ahvaz have continued from civil activists and human rights organizations. In this regard, Reema ShirMohammadi, a human rights activist in Spain, wrote on the social media platform 'X': 'While 6 Ahvazi prisoners have been sentenced to death for the murder of two Basij members, 4 of them have currently been transferred to solitary confinement, the police commander of Abadan criticized some media in an interview with state television, stating that the murder case of these individuals is not related to their being Basij members and that they were not on duty, and that family disputes were the motive for this murder.' Arash Sadeghi, a civil activist and former political prisoner, also wrote: 'Any political group or individual that cannot firmly and decisively exclude execution from the realm of punishment and argues in favor of such punishment (any argument) can in the future, through the drafting or interpretation of laws, eliminate their opponents with legal backing.' The Iran Human Rights Organization also expressed concern on Wednesday, October 25, regarding the risk of execution for Ali Majdam, Moein Khonfari, Mohammad Reza Moghadam, and Adnan Ghabishavi in Ahvaz. According to reports, on February 14, 2023, Branch 4 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz sentenced 'Ali Majdam, Habib Daris, Salim Mousavi, Mohammad Reza Moghadam, Adnan Mousavi, and Moein Khonfari' to death on charges of Moharebeh (waging war against God), and on March 6, 2023, the Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, officially announced the issuance of the death sentences for these political prisoners on charges of killing two Basij members, a police officer, and a soldier. The charges against these 4 prisoners and their two co-defendants involve 'the murder of 4 security agents' in Khorramshahr and Siraf, while this human rights organization emphasizes that these '6 Arab political prisoners were sentenced to death for forced confessions obtained through torture and on charges of Baghi (armed rebellion).' The transfer of these individuals to solitary confinement is the second time this has occurred, and in May 2023, the Iran Human Rights Organization had also announced that 'six Arab political prisoners from Ahvaz, who have been sentenced to death on security charges, were transferred to solitary confinement in Shiban prison in Ahvaz for the execution of their sentences.' This organization had listed the names of these six political prisoners as Ali Majdam, Mohammad Reza Moghadam, Adnan Mousavi Ghabishavi, Salim Mousavi Al-Bushoukeh, Moein Khonfari, and Habib Daris.