Sudden Transfer of Kamran Sheikhe from Qazalhasar to Mahabad Prison; He is Sentenced to Death

On Sunday, June 3, Iranian human rights media reported the sudden transfer of Kamran Sheikhe, a Kurdish citizen sentenced to death, from Qazalhasar prison in Karaj to the central prison of Mahabad. This Sunni political prisoner is the last remaining defendant in the case of the murder of Abdul Rahim Tina, the imam of the Khalafaye Rashidin Mosque in Mahabad in 2009. His sudden transfer without prior notice has raised serious concerns about his fate. On May 17 of this year, Kamran Sheikhe was moved to solitary confinement for the execution of his death sentence but was returned to the general ward of Qazalhasar prison without the sentence being carried out. The six previous defendants in this case, named Qasem Abasteh, Ayoub Karimi, Farhad Salimi, Davood Abdollahi, Anvar Khazari, and Khosrow Basharat, have been executed in recent months. Human rights sources have acknowledged that these seven defendants were subjected to 'severe torture' during their detention, and the judicial process was 'ambiguous' and had multiple flaws. The Iran Human Rights Campaign emphasized that all these death sentences were issued in 'unfair, opaque courts without adhering to the minimum standards of a fair trial' and lacked 'the slightest legal legitimacy.' Amnesty International reported last Wednesday, June 9, that the implementation of death sentences in Iran has increased by 48% over the past year. Amnesty International described the 'arbitrary' execution of Khosrow Basharat as 'shocking' and raised concerns about the imminent execution of a political prisoner; Kamran Sheikhe was moved to solitary confinement. The Islamic Republic executed Khosrow Basharat, a political prisoner, after 15 years in prison. Amnesty International's response to two executions in Iran: The Islamic Republic is entering new realms of oppression. Amnesty International: Four Kurdish prisoners in Qazalhasar are at 'serious risk of execution.'