Ministry of Intelligence: 102 Members of 'Tawhid and Jihad' Group Prosecuted

The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence announced on Wednesday, August 4, that since 1999, 102 members of the 'Tawhid and Jihad' group have been subjected to 'intelligence, operational, and judicial prosecution,' with some sentenced to death and imprisonment. The statement from the Ministry of Intelligence was released one day after the execution of several Sunni prisoners accused of membership in this group. On Tuesday, the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that several members of this group had been executed on charges of terrorism. Human rights organizations reported the execution of between seven to ten political prisoners from Kurdistan, while some human rights news websites stated that the special guard of Rajai Shahr prison had transferred '36 Sunni prisoners sentenced to death to an unknown location' on Monday night. According to ISNA, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence stated that the 'Tawhid and Jihad' group, inspired by Takfiri-Wahhabi thought, has attempted to narrow the circle of Islam and has declared Takfir (excommunication) against citizens of Kurdistan, resulting in the killing of some scholars, clerics, and fellow citizens in their operational actions. The Ministry's statement specified that 102 individuals associated with the Takfiri terrorist group 'Tawhid and Jihad' have been identified and subjected to intelligence, operational, and judicial prosecution, with some killed in armed clashes with law enforcement and security forces, while others were arrested, with some sentenced to death and others to imprisonment. The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence also stated that the activities of this group ultimately led to the deaths of 20 individuals and injuries to 40 others, including the assassination of figures like Mohammad Sheikh al-Islam, a representative of the people of Kurdistan in the Assembly of Experts, and Burhan Ali, an influential Sunni cleric. On the previous day, the Iran Human Rights Organization in Oslo, Norway, confirmed reports regarding the execution of Shahram Ahmadi, Khalid Maleki, Mokhtar Rahimi, Bahman Rahimi, Kaveh Vaisi, Arash Sharifi, and Kaveh Sharifi in response to Radio Farda. Meanwhile, several prisoners reportedly executed on Tuesday had previously denied the charges against them, stating they were tortured during interrogation. Kaveh Sharifi, one of those accused of assassinating Burhan Ali, had denied the accusation in a video released earlier. 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 stated that they were tortured multiple times during interrogation. In this context, the Iranian judiciary executed at least seven individuals on charges of engaging in terrorist activities.