More Political Prisoners Hanged In Iran

Iran has executed two more political prisoners, one from a 1980s case and another detained during the mass protests in November 2019.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) identified the 2019 protester as Kamran Rezaei, who was hanged in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad). The 32-year-old protester was arrested during the November 2019 nationwide protests and sentenced to ‘qisas’ (retribution-in-kind) for the murder of a Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) officer. It is not clear whether he had other charges like ‘moharebeh,’ an obscure Islamic term that means“war against God” that could potentially lead to the death penalty.

Citing an unnamed source, the IHRNGO said, “Kamran Rezaei was arrested for killing a basiji (IRGC paramilitary volunteer forces) with a machete during the November 2019 nationwide protests. He was held in solitary confinement for seven months and forced to make self-incriminating confessions under torture.”

The other prisoner who was executed this week was Geda-Ali (Hormoz) Saber Motlaq, a member of the exiled opposition group Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) and was hanged in Rasht Central Prison on 25 November.Motlaq, who was 62 years old at the time of his execution, was arrested in 1981 on charges of membership in the MEK and the alleged assassination of an Islamic Republic official. He was released due to lack of evidence and left Iran. He returned to the country in 2021 and was detained for the same charges. Despite no new lead or evidence in his case, he was sentenced to death.

Earlier this week, protester Milad Zohrevand, who was arrested at the 40th day anniversary of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, was executed in Hamedan Central Prison and Kurdish political prisoner Ayoub Karimi in Ghezelhesar Prison.

On November 2, the UN published a report stating that the Islamic Republic executed at least 419 individuals in the first seven months of the current year. This figure represents a 30% increase compared to the same period in 2022.