Governor of Alborz: Qazalhasar Prison Will Also Be Transferred to Tehran Like Rajai-Shahr

Following the recent closure of Gohardasht Prison (Rajai-Shahr) in Karaj, the governor of Alborz announced that the transfer of Qazalhasar Prison from Karaj is also on the agenda. Mojtaba Abdollahi, the governor of Alborz, claimed on Tuesday, August 8, that the transfer of these two prisons from Alborz Province to Tehran Province was due to 'the concerns of officials and the demands of the people.' Meanwhile, journalist Hediyeh Kimiai stated in an interview with Voice of America that the reason for the closure of Rajai-Shahr Prison was the government's efforts to 'destroy criminal evidence in this prison.' On the other hand, Iranian media have cited administrative and urban issues between the provinces of Alborz and Tehran as the reason for the transfer of Rajai-Shahr and Qazalhasar prisons to Tehran Province. The newspaper Hamshahri reported in the summer of 2022 that despite the location of Rajai-Shahr and Qazalhasar prisons within the urban area of Alborz Province, their management has always been under the Tehran Province Prisons Organization, which has caused problems. According to this report, the agreement for the transfer of these two prisons to Tehran Province was made during President Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Alborz Province in April 2022, and its implementation was assigned to the Minister of Justice at that time. Rajai-Shahr and Qazalhasar prisons in Karaj have been the scene of many executions of prisoners in past decades, and the name Gohardasht (Rajai-Shahr) is associated with the widespread executions of political prisoners in 1988. According to Reza Akavaniyan, a human rights reporter, the highest number of executions in the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken place in Rajai-Shahr Prison. Mass executions in Qazalhasar Prison in Karaj have also faced criticism from human rights defenders in recent years. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran criticized the mass executions of defendants in this prison twelve years ago, in 2011. The U.S. Treasury Department and the European Union have placed Rajai-Shahr Prison in Karaj on their sanctions lists due to 'human rights violations.' The newspaper Hamshahri reported on July 14, 2022, about an agreement regarding the possibility of non-cash sales of the lands of Rajai-Shahr and Qazalhasar prisons and changing their usage, as well as a decision to build a new prison. This newspaper did not mention the location of the new prison's construction. The continued sit-in by the families of prisoners sentenced to death in front of Qazalhasar Prison in Karaj has been noted; prisoners have been transferred; the judiciary stated: 'The complete transfer of Rajai-Shahr Prison' will occur after 'final agreement' with the governor. The confirmation of the evacuation of Rajai-Shahr Prison; Hediyeh Kimiai: The government is 'destroying criminal evidence.' Defendants in the case known as 'Ekbatane Town' have been transferred to Qazalhasar Prison. The execution of death sentences in Iranian prisons continues; at least 7 more prisoners have been executed in Karaj.