Two Executions in One Day; Hengaw: The Islamic Republic Executed Farhad Salimi as Well

Simultaneously with widespread civil efforts to halt the execution of Mohammad Qabadi, one of the detainees from last year's nationwide protests in Iran, which was ultimately carried out today, news sources reported the execution of Farhad Salimi, a Kurdish political prisoner. According to the report from 'Hengaw', the death sentence of Farhad Salimi, a Kurdish religious prisoner from the city of Saqez in Kurdistan province, was carried out in Qazalhesar prison in Karaj on the early morning of Tuesday, January 23, 1402 (January 30, 2024). Previously, an international human rights organization had warned that Farhad Salimi, a prisoner at risk of execution, was transferred to solitary confinement in Qazalhesar prison on Sunday, January 21, and was in 'imminent danger of execution'. Concerns regarding the execution risk of Farhad Salimi, a 'torture victim' Sunni Kurd, had increased following the executions of Qasem Abasteh, Ayoub Karimi, and Davood Abdollahi (three co-defendants of his in recent months). Amnesty International emphasized in a statement on Monday, January 22, that the trials of these prisoners were 'severely unfair and accompanied by torture and other ill-treatment'. Farhad Salimi and six other defendants in this case were sentenced to death in Esfand 1394 (March 2016) at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Mohammad Mogheiseh. Although this sentence was overturned by Judge Ali Razini in the Supreme Court, it was re-examined at Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, where Judge Abolqasem Salavati issued a new death sentence for them, which was confirmed by Judge Ali Razini of Branch 41 of the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic. Anwar Khazari, Kamran Sheikhe, Farhad Salimi, Qasem Abasteh, Khosrow Basharat, Ayoub Karimi, and Davood Abdollahi were the seven defendants sentenced to 'death' in this joint case, and before today, the sentence had been executed for three of them, making it four with the execution of Farhad Salimi. Reports indicate that these seven Sunni citizens were deprived of legal representation throughout the proceedings. Several years later, in 1395 (2016), due to flaws and ambiguities in the case, the death sentence issued in the first trial was rejected by the Supreme Court and referred back to another branch of the Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Salavati. In this court, the charge was changed from 'corruption on earth' to 'waging war against God', and the death sentence was issued and finalized. Amnesty International states that the authorities of the Islamic Republic use the death penalty as a 'tool for suppressing minorities, protesters, and opponents' while simultaneously limiting the access of ethnic and religious minorities to education, employment, and political positions.