Exclusive | Prisoners in Qazalhasar Protest Death Sentences; Guards Respond with 'Beatings' of Protesters

Political prisoners in Qazalhasar prison protested the imminent execution of four Kurdish political prisoners held in Evin prison, facing a 'raid' by intelligence officers who 'beat and broke prisoners' belongings.' Payam Salmanzadeh, the son of Reza Salmanzadeh, one of the political prisoners in unit four of Qazalhasar prison, explained in an exclusive message obtained by VOA that 'political prisoners in unit 4 of Qazalhasar prison went on hunger strike and shouted slogans in the yard due to the death sentences of four Kurdish political prisoners in Evin prison.' Following this, 'prison security and intelligence officers stormed the unit.' According to this report, the intelligence officers attacked the protesting political prisoners, 'beating them, breaking their belongings, and using foul language.' Payam Salmanzadeh also stated that 'until the last contact we had with unit four, officers were standing in the yard with weapons,' and since then, there has been no news, and the phones have been cut off. At the same time, two eyewitnesses in Qazalhasar prison emphasized that the raid by government agents on unit 4 of hall 21 was 'for inspecting the unit' and 'following the protests against the executions.' Reza Mohammadi, in a call from prison, confirmed that prison officials, in addition to 'insulting and threatening,' filmed the prisoners and unit 4 and took some of the prisoners' personal belongings. He mentioned that government forces, including 'the head of the correctional facility, the head of security,' and individuals such as 'Ghasem Sahraei, Miladi, and Mowlavi' were present during this raid. According to another source, a group of armed government forces were also stationed in the 'yard' and 'were looking for a confrontation with the prisoners under the pretext of inspection by breaking some of the prisoners' belongings, which started at 2 PM today.' Following the execution of Mohammad Qabadi and Farhad Salimi, two political prisoners in Qazalhasar, protests against their executions and calls to halt the death sentences by the Islamic Republic in Iran have intensified, with dozens of political prisoners going on hunger strike in recent days. This action has also received support from civil and political activists both in Iran and abroad. Previously, the campaign to defend the four Kurdish political prisoners issued a statement on Saturday, February 7, calling the 'imminent execution risk' of Pejman Fatehi, Mohammad Farahmrazi, Vafa Azarbar, and Mohsen Mazloom 'serious' and demanding 'immediate and effective' action from human rights organizations and international bodies. Joanna Timisi, the wife of Mohsen Mazloom, rejected the security-related accusations against this political prisoner at risk of execution, emphasizing the 'fabrication' by the Islamic Republic for the four Kurdish prisoners, and told VOA that the families of political prisoners should inform Neda Al-Nashif about human rights violations in Iran. A senior U.S. official stated that none of the aspects of the political system in the Islamic Republic of Iran are democratic or transparent, including the management, judicial, and electoral sectors. According to Vedant Patel, the world has been aware of this reality for some time. Protests by groups of Iranians against the issuance and execution of death sentences for political prisoners in Iran have taken place in various locations, including Washington, Toronto, and Montreal, with demonstrators expressing solidarity with the families of the deceased and opposing executions.