Group Hanging of 29 Men in Karaj; At Least 87 Executed Since Elections Last Month

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, 26 men were executed in a group execution in Ghezelhesar Prison and three men executed in Karaj Penitentiary (Central Prison) on 7 August. Two of the men were Afghan nationals and on death row for rape charges. Two other Afghan nationals were returned to their cells.

Seven of those executed who were on death row for drug-related charges have been identified as Abdullah (Shehbakhsh) Shahnavazi a Baluch minority, Mohammad Karami (Gholami), Esmail Sharafi, Foroud Geravand, Shahab Maleki, Khalil Shahoozi and a man only identified as Rasoul.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “17 people were executed for murder charges, seven for drug-related charges and 2 for rape charges.”

There have also been reports of two women being executed which IHRNGO has not been able to confirm at the time of writing.

The 29 men were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions from the wards of Karaj Penitentiary and Ghezelhesar Prison on 5 and 6 August.

The other men’s identities have not been established at the time of writing. IHRNGO continues its efforts to identify them and will publish updated reports. 

Group executions of this size are unprecedented in the last two decades. The last recorded case was at the height of the 2009 nationwide protests when 20 people were executed for drug-related offences in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on 3 July 2009.