Iran | Kurdish Political Prisoners, Diako Rasoulzadeh and Saber Sheikh-Abdullah Executed

Iran Human Rights (IHR); July 14, 2020: Two Kurdish political prisoners, Diako Rasoulzadeh and Saber Sheikh-Abdullah, were executed in Urmia Central Prison this morning.

The two men were executed on charges of collaborating with the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan and "bombing the anniversary parade of the Iran-Iraq war", which both men had consistently denied.

According to Iran Human rights, the death sentences of two political prisoners, Diako Rasoulzadeh and Saber Sheikh-Abdullah, were carried out in Urmia Central Prison (Darya) this morning.

"The two detainees were not allowed to visit their families before the execution," an informed source told IHR. "Saber and Diako were executed while denying the bombing under interrogation and even in court."

Diako Rasoulzadeh and Hossein Osmani were arrested on February 25, 2014 on suspicion of planting bombs at the Mahabad parade marking the 30th anniversary of the start of the Iran-Iraq war, on September 18, 2010.

Saber Sheikh-Abdullah was arrested on March 15, 2014 in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province. Referring to Saber’s repeated torture to force a confession, an informed source previously told IHR that Saber was studying for his master’s degree at Allameh Tabatabai University and had travelled to his hometown of Mahabad from Tehran for Norouz. (Persian new year)

On April 7, 2015, Diako and Saber were sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mahabad, headed by Judge Javadi Kia, for participating in the bombing and membership in the Komala Party of Kurdistan. Hossein Osmani, who had been arrested with Diako was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Branch 47 of the Supreme Court had previously overturned the verdict, but it was upheld following re-examination by the Supreme Court.

Another Kurdish political prisoner on death row, Hedayat Abdollahpour was executed on May 21st this year by what IHR later revealed to have been a firing squad in Oshnavieh.

Inmate Executed in Kermanshah Central Prison

Iran Human Rights (IHR); July 13, 2020: The sentence of a prisoner who was sentenced to retribution in kind (execution) on charges of "premeditated murder" was carried out in Kermanshah Central Prison (Dizel Abad).

According to Iran Human Rights (IHR), a prisoner on death row was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison on the morning of Sunday, July 12th. The identity of this prisoner has been established as Farzad Shokri, who was sentenced to retribution in kind for "premeditated murder".

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network, which first published the news, wrote that Farzad Shokri was from Sarpol-e Zahab and had been on death row in prison for about four years

At the time of publication, the execution of this prisoner has not been announced by local media or officials.

According to Iran Human Rights’ annual report, at least 225 of the 280 of those executed in 2019 were charged with "premeditated murder."

As there are no legal distinctions made between murder and manslaughter, whether voluntary or involuntary in Iran, those charged under the umbrella term of “premeditated murder” will receive the death penalty regardless of intent (mens rea) and the circumstances.

Source: https://iranhr.net/, Staff, July 13-14, 2020

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