International Federation for Human Rights Condemns Recent Executions in Iran

The International Federation for Human Rights issued a statement on Wednesday, August 4, condemning the "execution of dozens of Sunni prisoners" in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj in the "strongest terms." The statement, released a day after the executions, calls on countries with economic and political ties to Iran to "take immediate action to prevent the execution of remaining prisoners before it is too late." The federation also urged these countries to prioritize the "serious human rights violations in Iran" in their discussions with Iranian officials and to demand that they respect their commitments under international law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran signed over 40 years ago. The Iranian judiciary announced on Tuesday, August 3, that it had carried out the death sentences of seven prisoners on terrorism charges. However, the International Federation for Human Rights noted that Iranian officials have not released official statistics on executions, speculating that the number of those executed on Tuesday could reach 21. Abdolkarim Lahiji, the president of the International Federation for Human Rights, emphasized that "the international community cannot continue to ignore this blatant violation of human rights by Iranian officials." According to Lahiji, "the execution of a large number of Kurdish Sunni prisoners based on forced confessions and unfair trials is an insult to the most fundamental human rights principles." The statement provided details about the interrogation, trial, and execution processes of these individuals, including that on Monday, August 2, special forces attacked Ward 10 of Rajai Shahr prison in northwestern Karaj and transferred 36 death-row prisoners to solitary confinement. According to the federation, "the death sentences of 29 of these individuals were confirmed and reportedly communicated to the judiciary for execution." The results of the appeals court's review of the death sentences of seven other prisoners have not yet been announced. Meanwhile, the judiciary of Kurdistan Province, without disclosing the exact number of those executed, described them as members of the "Takfiri group known as Tawhid and Jihad," claiming that "their hands are stained with the blood of several compatriots." The Kurdistan judiciary accused these individuals of involvement in the "assassination" of several Sunni clerics, including "Mawlana Sheikh al-Islam and Mawlana Burhan Ali" and "some citizens, including Khalifa Farhadi from Qorveh and Hedayat Hassan Khani from Ilam." The statement also accused the executed individuals of killing "several environmental guards in Sanandaj County" and other offenses such as "producing multiple military weapons and constructing over 50 ready-to-explode bombs, bombing various locations in Sanandaj County, committing several armed robberies from jewelry stores in Qorveh, Zanjan, and Hamadan, distributing poisoned food to assassinate some Kurdish citizens, and attacking police and traffic police centers." Meanwhile, Kaveh Sharifi, one of those accused of assassinating Burhan Ali, the Imam of Quba Mosque in Sanandaj, denied the charges in a video previously released. Some of these prisoners, including Kaveh Vaisi, a Sunni cleric, were also accused of "connections with Salafi groups." Several of these prisoners, including Shahram Ahmadi, had previously reported being tortured during interrogation. Shahram Ahmadi was arrested on April 25, 2009, coinciding with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's visit to Sanandaj. The International Federation for Human Rights stated that "according to reports, these individuals spent long periods in pre-trial detention in solitary confinement, were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, and were coerced into 'confessing.'" The statement emphasized that "they later retracted these 'confessions' and stated that they were forced to confess under torture. These prisoners denied involvement in violence and armed activities, asserting that they were arrested for their religious beliefs, organizing religious meetings, participating in them, and distributing religious materials." According to the International Federation for Human Rights, with the executions on Tuesday, August 3, the number of execution victims in Iran for the current year has approached 300. International human rights organizations reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran executed at least 977 individuals in 2015. In this context, the Ministry of Intelligence announced that 102 members of the "Tawhid and Jihad" group were pursued, and the Iranian judiciary executed at least seven individuals on charges of engaging in terrorist activities. The head of the Iranian judiciary set conditions for starting discussions with Europe on human rights, stating that human rights negotiations with Europe would stem from the "system's demands" and would be conditional.