Iran | Executions in Mashhad, Ghezelhesar, Tabriz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 23, 2023: Rasoul Gorgij and Shahmorad Davoudi, two Baluch men on death row for drug-related charges, were executed in Mashhad Central Prison.

According to Haal Vsh, two Baluch men were executed in Mashhad Central Prison (Vakil Abad) on 23 November. Their identities have been reported as 34-year-old Rasoul Gorgij (photo) and 44-year-old Shahmorad Davoudi, both Zahedan natives.

They were arrested for drug-related charges in Mashhad around two years ago and sentenced to death for death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. They were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions the day prior.

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Ethnic minorities, the Baluch in particular, are grossly overrepresented in execution numbers in Iran. In 2022, at least 174 Baluch minorities including 3 women, were executed in 22 prisons across Iran, making up 30% of overall executions. This is while they represent just 2-5% of Iran’s population. Furthermore, at least 274 Baluch people have been executed for drug-related charges since 2021, 40% of all drug executions in that time period.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years. At least 305 people were executed for drug-related charges between 1 January-10 October 2023, a 69% increase compared to the same period in 2022, and the number of drug-related executions in 2023 were close to 20 times higher than 2020.

The number of drug executions dramatically dropped in 2018 following a 2017 Amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Laws. Consequently, drug executions ranged between 24-30 per annum between 2018-2020. The Amendment was reversed in practice in 2021 when executions increased ten-fold to 126 in 2021 and doubled again in 2022 with 256 drug-related executions. On 13 September 2023, IHRNGO reported a 94% rise in the number of drug-related executions in the year following the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in September 2022.

Ghezelhesar Prison Group Execution Number Rises to 4; 3 Other Unverified Reports

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 23, 2023: State media have reported the executions of two men for murder charges at Ghezelhesar Prison. IHRNGO previously reported the executions of two other men that day, bringing the total number to four. There are unverified reports of three other men’s executions at the prison that day.

According to Javan Online, two men were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison on 22 November. The unnamed men were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

One of the men’s identities has been established as Loghman Omrani by IHRNGO which has also received reports of another three men having been executed that day which it has not been able to verify at the time of writing.

IHRNGO previously reported news of Moslem Jamshidi and Mohammad Andishkouh being executed for drug-related charges at Ghezelhesar Prison that day.

On 1st November, IHRNGO reported a group execution of nine men at Ghezelhesar Prison. A week later, another group execution of eight men took place at the prison on 8 November. The next week, another group execution of nine men took place at the prison on 15 November. This is the fourth group execution at the prison in November.

In the first 10 months of 2023, IHRNGO recorded more than 600 executions, an unprecedented number in the last eight years. The majority of the executions were for drug-related charges which are also at their highest since 2015. On World Day Against the Death Penalty (10 October 2023), IHRNGO called on UN Member States to withdraw funding of UNODC projects on drug-trafficking in Iran, and to make all collaborations and funding contingent upon an immediate halt to all drug-related executions.

Execution in Tabriz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 23, 2023: Ebrahim Zamharir, a man sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was executed in Tabriz Central Prison.

According to Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Tabriz Central Prison on 22 November. His identity has been established as 48-year-old Ebrahim Zamharir who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ebrahim Zamharir was from a village on the outskirts of Tabriz and was a father of one. He was arrested for carrying drug around three years ago and received the death penalty.”

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, November 23, 2023

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Judge allows Tennessee death row inmates to include botched executions in lawsuit

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