Six Prisoners Executed in Ghezal Hesar Prison in Karaj

The human rights organization "Hengaw" reported that the execution of six prisoners in Ghezal Hesar Prison in Karaj was carried out in the early hours of Wednesday, November 1. Hengaw had previously reported the execution of Yadollah Farrokhi, from Kouhdasht, and Sadegh Tajik, an Afghan national, in this prison. According to this organization, after identifying four prisoners named Ehsan Haddad, Abbas Anaraki, Behrouz (last name unknown), and Mohsen Abbaszadeh, the number of executed prisoners in Ghezal Hesar Prison reached six. These individuals were accused of murder, drug-related crimes, and rape, and were sentenced to death. Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, recently described the increase in executions in Iran as "concerning," stating, "In 2022, at least 582 people were executed, of which over 256 cases were drug-related, significantly higher compared to 2021." He also noted in a report presented to the UN General Assembly on October 24 regarding the human rights situation in Iran that the human rights situation in Iran is a "bitter reality." Mr. Rehman expressed concern about "broader human rights issues in Iran and the significant deterioration of the situation for those exercising their civil participation rights." The UN Special Rapporteur stated that significant shortcomings in the legal and political framework of the Islamic Republic have considerably limited Iranian citizens' ability to exercise their democratic participation rights in the political and public sphere. He emphasized that the situation of human rights violations in Iran will not change until fundamental freedoms are guaranteed by law. According to the latest reports from the Iranian human rights organization, the number of executions this year has increased by 126% compared to the first six months of 2022, during which 91 people were executed on drug-related charges, with 206 executions recorded under this accusation. The Islamic Republic of Iran, alongside China, has the highest number of executions in the world. Pegah Bani Hashemi: Executions have always been a tool of repression and terror throughout the life of the Islamic Republic. How does the Islamic Republic legitimize executions? Interview with Mahmoud Amiri Moghaddam. The Iranian Human Rights Organization: The death sentences of three prisoners in Shiraz Central Prison were carried out. A human rights organization: The Islamic Republic has intensified executions by "exploiting media attention on Gaza."