Authorities Confirm the Executions in Uremia Prison

Despite the initial denial of Head of Prisons Office in West Azerbaijan province, finally and after 5 days the Head of Judiciary of the province confirmed the execution of Mohammad Abdollahi, political prisoner and 4 drug offenders. HRANA had already reported the executions and rejected the denial of authorities.

According to the report of Human Rights Activist News Agency in Iran (HRANA), Although the families of 7 prisoners including Mohammad Abdollahi’s family had been summoned to Uremia Prison for the last visit and on August 9 the names of 5 executed prisoners were read for the families in front of the prison and at least 4 corpses were delivered to the families, the Head of Prisons Office in West Azerbaijan province denied the execution of 6 prisoners in Uremia prison. However he failed to specify if he denied the number of executed prisoners or the executions in general which had left Mohammad Abdollahi’s family in confusion.

HRANA that had published the initial reports of executions, tried to provide more evidences and show the incorrectness of the denial.

Finally the Head of Judiciary of West Azerbaijan province ended the confusions and said: “On August 9, five prisoners who had been charged with Muharebe and killing 3 police officers and drug trafficking were executed in Uremia Prison.”

“One of these prisoners had been charged with sailing 4 kg crystal, the second one with keeping 2 kg crystal, the third person with keeping 1 kg morphine and the last person with keeping 7 kg heroin.” He said.

He continued while explaining about Mohammad Abdollahi’s case: “The one for whom the anti-revolutionist media cries out was a member of Komala terrorist organization and was charged with Muharebeh, using arms and martyring 3 police officers and injuring 2 others.”

He insists on the participation of Mohammad Abdollahi in armed struggle, however Mostafa Ahmadian, Mohammad Abdollahi’s lawyer had already told HRANA: “There are many things wrong with this case. My client was never treated legally and justly. My client never used arms.”

“I can give some examples of injustice in the case. My client was acquitted of the charge of Muharebeh. The attorney general and the prosecutor closed the case. The case was definitely closed and the judge of the revolutionary court had no right to open it again. He could not order the prosecution to reopen the case but he did it and the case was reopened.” He had explained about the illegal procedures in his client’s case.

Mr. Ahmadian had continued: “We asked for a retrial and the case was sent to the very branch which had issued the sentence whereas legally it should have been sent to another branch.”

“The sentence had to be stopped until the end of retrial. I ask the authorities to stop the execution so that we can move on with the retrial.” He had said in the end.

Mohammad Abdollahi, political prisoner in Uremia Prison and at least 6 other prisoners have been transferred to solitary confinements to be executed.

Some hours ago their met their families for the last time.

Mohammad Abdollahi had been on hunger strike for 32 days in protest at the “unjust” verdict and the way of handling his case since May 29, 2016 and accepted to end his strike after the authorities had promised him to agree with his retrial.

During his hunger strike, Mohammad Abdollahi had written a letter to the Head of Judiciary and Mr. Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur of United Nations on the human rights situation in Iran. He demanded a fair trial for himself in this letter. The full text of the letter was published by HRANA.

Mohammad Abdollahi, 35, married and former resident of the city of Bokan was sentenced to death on charge of Muharebeh through membership in one of Kurdish opposition parties by branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Mahabad.

His death sentence was officially notified to him by the executive branch of Mahabad prison after being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2014.

Mohammad Amin Abdollahi, Mohammad Abdollahi’s brother is also a political prisoner in Birjand prison who went back to the prison on Sunday and after a short furlough.