Mohammad Abdollahi, 35, of Bokan, was one of a reported five prisoners executed in the northern Iranian city of Urmia on Tuesday. Six were due to be executed on drug-related charges; HRANA described Abdollahi as a political prisoner. HRANA has confirmed the execution of five; two were not put to death on Tuesday for unknown reasons.
When Abdollahi’s family went to collect his body, authorities confirmed that he had been executed but that his body would not be released.
Kamran Pouraft from Piranshahr, Jahangir Razavizade from Urmia, Jabrail Kanaani from Urmia, and one other unknown prisoner were executed on drug-related charges, reported HRANA.
Parisa Hatami, the wife of Jahangir Razavizade, was also due to be executed. Their son, now three years old, was born in prison, HRANA reported. The boy was given to Razavizade’s family to be cared for as his parents were transferred to solitary confinement before their planned executions.
Tohid Pourmehdi from Urmia was also scheduled to be executed but the death penalty was not carried out for unknown reasons, HRANA reported.
Their families were permitted a final visit Monday evening before the executions.
Abdollahi’s lawyer insists that his client was innocent and executed on false charges. Mostafa Ahmadian told HRANA that Abdollahi had been acquitted of the charge of membership in a Kurdish opposition party, but his case was reopened by the revolutionary court, something the lawyer said the court had no right to do.
Abdollahi went on a hunger strike on May 29 after being found guilty. He ended the hunger strike after 32 days when authorities said they would grant him a retrial.
Iran has the second highest rate of executions globally, behind only China. On August 2, approximately 20 prisoners accused of terrorism were executed. On Sunday, nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri was executed on charges of revealing classified information to the enemy. He was arrested after he returned to Iran from the United States.
The organization Human Rights and Democracy for Iran has documented 31 executions in the month of August so far.
