Iran: Two executed for drug trafficking, murder

Iran Human Rights (SEPT 25 2017): One prisoner was reportedly executed at Ardebil Central Prison (Northwestern Iran).

According to a close source, on the morning of Wednesday September 20, a prisoner was executed at Ardebil Central Prison on drug related charges.

The prisoner was identified as Tofigh Yousefi. On the morning of Sunday September 17, Tofigh Yousefi and another prisoner, named Shahin Parsajou, were transferred to solitary confinement.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) had reported the execution of Shahin Parsajou which was carried out on Monday September 18. However, Tofigh’s execution was delayed until Wednesday for unknown reasons.

The execution of Tofigh Yousefi and Shahin Parsajou has not been announced by the state-run media so far.

The execution of prisoners with drug related charges continues to be carried out in Iran despite the fact that the bill for the amendment to the drug law in Iran has been approved by Iranian Parliament. However, the Guardian Council must still approve the bill.

Prisoner executed at Urmia Central Prison (Darya) northwestern Iran

According to a close source, on the morning of Tuesday September 26, the execution sentence of a prisoner who was charged with murder was carried out at Urmia Central Prison.

The prisoner was identified as Javad Khayyeri from ward 15.

Javad Khayyeri was transferred to solitary confinement along with three other prisoners yesterday.

The three prisoners returned to their cells after either winning the consent of the plaintiff or asking for time.

Javad Khayyeri was charged with drug trafficking and murdering a police officer and was sentenced to death twice. But the death sentence for his drug related charges was reduced to life imprisonment a while ago.

This execution has not been announced by the state-run media so far.

According to Iran Human Rights annual report on the death penalty, 142 of the 530 executions in 2016 were due to murder charges.

There is a lack of a classification of murder by degree in Iran, which results in issuing death sentence for any kind of murder regardless of intent.

Source: Iran Human Rights, September 27, 2017

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