The execution of four Iranian Kurdish prisoners accused of being "saboteurs" with links to Israel's Mossad intelligence service has prompted widespread condemnations, both within and outside of Iran.
Available documents and published reports show that the defendants faced an unfair judicial process and were denied access to their chosen lawyer, marking them the latest victims of the Islamic Republic’s repressive policies, which include the growing use of the death penalty.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group condemned the execution of the four political prisoners, and urged the international community to break its silence on the wave of executions in Iran.
It also called on Nada Al-Nashif, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to cancel her upcoming trip to Iran.
"The execution of these four prisoners was based on coerced confessions and constitutes extrajudicial killing. [Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei and the corrupt judiciary of the Islamic Republic must be held accountable for these murders,” said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the organization's director.
Former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi also condemned the latest executions, saying that the Islamic Republic “is waging war on the people of Iran.
"And it is waging war on the world— just having killed three American soldiers and wounded dozens more in Jordan via its proxies," he added.
Gohar Eshghi, the mother of Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who died while being tortured in prison, said, "Curse you, Khamenei! I used to wish for your death, Khamenei, but now I hope you live to see the execution of your sons."
Iranian-Canadian activist Hamed Esmaeilion accused Iranian authorities of being “the enemies of youth, love and beauty.”
"We will neither forget nor forgive those who coerced confessions, sent individuals to the slaughterhouse, tied the noose, pulled the stool, and, notably, the great murderer, Ali Khamenei. All those serving as agents of oppression will be held accountable," he said.
The human rights organization Hengaw strongly condemns the execution of the four Kurdish political prisoners, asserting that, even by the Islamic Republic's own standards, there was a failure to uphold the defendant's minimum rights for fair trial.
The Supreme Court approved the death sentence for the four convicts, who were denied the right to access a lawyer and communicate with their families.
Their lawyer, Masoud Shamsnejad, revealed on January 16 that the Supreme Court had rejected his clients' request for a new trial.
The Mizan news agency alleged that the group, accused of planning a bombing in Isfahan last summer in collaboration with Israel, were arrested a few days before the operation.
A report from the government news agency claimed that the individuals were "recruited by the Mossad through the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan and were sent to African countries to undergo full operational training."
The families of the four prisoners refuted such accusations, and human rights defenders decried the death sentences as unfair, highlighting the secrecy surrounding the judicial procedures.
Execution of Four Kurdish Political Prisoners; Iran Human Rights Calls for Cancellation of Nada Al-Nashif's Trip
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 29, 2024: This morning, the Islamic Republic executed four Kurdish political prisoners, Mohsen Mazloum, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, and Hazhir Faramarzi, in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj, despite repeated domestic and international requests to stop the execution.
Iran Human Rights strongly condemns the execution of these four individuals and calls on members of the international community to end their silence on the wave of executions in Iran. The organization also urges Nada Al-Nashif, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, to cancel her upcoming visit to Iran and explicitly state that the reason is to protest these executions.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Iran Human Rights, said: "The execution of these four prisoners was based on confessions under torture and without a fair trial, and is considered extrajudicial killing. Khamenei and the corrupt judiciary of the Islamic Republic must be held accountable for these murders."
He added: "The international community must show a practical response to the Islamic Republic's rampant and daily executions. The least reaction of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the executions should be the cancellation of Nada Al-Nashif's deputy commissioner's trip to Iran."
Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations, is scheduled to visit Iran from February 2 to 5.
According to the Islamic Republic news website,Tasnim, on the morning of Monday, January 29, the execution of four Kurdish political prisoners was carried out in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj. These four prisoners, identified as Mohsen Mazloum, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, and Hezir Faramarzi, were convicted of "enmity against God and espionage for Israel."
These four Kurdish political prisoners were arrested in Urmia on June 22, 2021, and were sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. They were denied the right to meet or make phone calls with their families and were held in an undisclosed location.
A few months after their arrest, media outlets close to security institutions published videos of their forced confessions.
During their entire detention, these four prisoners were not allowed to meet with their families or appointed lawyers. The only visit they were granted was a pre-execution meeting the day before.
Iran Human Rights and many human rights defenders and organizations had called for the stop and cancellation of the execution sentences of these four political prisoners, citing the most basic principles of fair trial were not observed.
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