Iran: Four Prisoners Executed For Drug Offences

According to a close source, on the morning on Tuesday November 7, four prisoners were executed at Urmia Central Prison (Darya). The prisoners, who were sentenced to death on drug related charges, were transferred to solitary confinement from ward 15 yesterday.

The prisoners were identified as Asghar Ranjbar, Hedayat Shirzad, Hassan Bashoqi, and Ali Zare’

“The prisoners were sentenced to death on the charge of possessing 5 to 200 kilograms of heroin or meth,” said a close source to Iran Human Rights yesterday.

These prisoners were executed while a few weeks ago a new anti-narcotics bill was approved by Iran’s Parliament and the Guardian Council. The bill was also announced by the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and published in an official newspaper on Saturday October 29 2017.

According to Article 2 of the civil law, the laws are ought to be enforced within 15 days after being published in an official newspaper (six days from now).

The executions of these prisoners have not been announced by the state-run media so far.