Heiman Mostafaei Executed Following 'Forced Confession' in Sanandaj

Judicial officials of the Islamic Republic executed Heiman Mostafaei, a prisoner from Marivan held in Sanandaj prison, on Wednesday morning, June 21. Mostafaei was arrested on February 29, 2013, in connection with the killing of a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. News and human rights sources reported that Mostafaei's conviction and execution followed a forced confession. He was sentenced to four years in prison and 'retribution' for charges of 'possessing weapons' and 'premeditated murder' in Sanandaj Criminal Court. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, other individuals, including 'Bayan Kakayi,' 'Hiwa Dadfarin,' and 'Khalil Shirzadi,' were also accused of 'participating in murder.' Following reports of Mostafaei's transfer to solitary confinement and the potential execution of his sentence, a group of citizens and civil activists gathered on Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning outside Sanandaj Central Prison, where he was held, demanding the cancellation of his execution. Mostafaei, 34, was from the city of Kani Dinara in Marivan County, Kurdistan Province. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported, citing sources close to Mostafaei's family, that he had 'confessed under severe physical and psychological torture' during interrogation and, without access to a lawyer or family visits, was coerced into accepting a 'pre-prepared scenario by the interrogators' through threats and promises. Timur Elyasi, a representative of the Kurdistan Human Rights Association, previously emphasized in an interview with VOA that more than half of those executed in Iran are 'Kurd and Baluch.' According to reports from human rights organizations, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly executed political prisoners following forced confessions obtained through torture and abuse. Iran has the highest 'per capita execution' rate and ranks second in total executions after China. Human rights sources indicate that the implementation of death sentences has accelerated following intensified protests in Iran, aiming to instill fear in society. Iran Human Rights Organization has called on international bodies not to overlook these 'crimes.'