Over the last several months, death sentences and executions have been increasing at alarming rates in Iran.  According to several independent sources, there are at least fifteen Kurdish political prisoners awaiting execution in Iranian detention centers.  Almost all of them have been charged with “mohareb” (enemy of God) and endangering State security.  Human rights groups are concerned that these political prisoners were sentenced after unfair trials, usually lasting only a few minutes.  There is also a concern that these prisoners have been mistreated and even tortured in Iranian custody. 

Two Kurdish political prisoners have been hanged within the last two months.  Eshan Fattahian was executed on November 11th, 2009 and Safih Yasamani on January 6th, 2010.  According to information received by the International Federation for Human Rights, Mr. Eshan Fattahian was a Kurdish activist arrested in 2008 for membership in the Kurdistan Independent Life Party.  Fattahian was denied legal council and was allegedly tortured in detention.  He was originally sentenced to 10 years in exile; however this sentence was overturned for a death sentence after an appellate court found him guilty of being “an enemy of God” for his membership in a Kurdish rights group.  According to the New York Times, Fattahian’s parents were not allowed to see his body after the execution and the Iranian authorities denied the family a public mourning service. 

Several reports from Iran have stated that on January 6th, Kurdish activist Safih Yasaman was hanged in the prison of Khoi in northwestern Iran.  Yasamani, like Fattahian, was convicted of being “an enemy of God” and was also convicted for his membership in a Kurdish opposition group called PJAK; however, PJAK has denied Yasamani was ever a member of this Kurdish political group. Neither Yasaman’s lawyer nor his family were informed of the scheduled execution, and no Iranian officials have confirmed the hanging took place.

Amnesty International has been monitoring the situation in Iran, and their reports state that in 2009, there were at least 196 executions carried out.  Between the president of Iran’s election on June 12th and inauguration on August 5th, 2009, executions have increased dramatically averaging two a day. 

Hadi Ghaemi, the leader of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, recently stated in a New York Times interview that,

“[T]he recent spike in executions, particularly of political prisoners, is an attempt to sow fear and spread terror through the population, to persuade them that the powers that be are determined to use all means necessary to put down dissent and that participating in the opposition movement can be highly costly.” 

To read this New York Times article in full, please click the link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/world/middleeast/23iran.html