Iran: 23 prisoners executed in cities across country

The anti-human clerical regime executed nine prisoners in two groups in central prisons of Kerman and Zahedan on April 20 with two Afghanistan citizens. Two days prior, two prisoners in Mashhad, another in Zarand prison in Kerman province, and a twenty-five year old by name of Hossein Chofleki in Gohardasht prison had been executed. One of those executed was a 21 year old laborer. On April 16 , state-run media reported of nine executions of prisoners in Shiraz with six hanged in public. Yet another young man, Omid Shojaei of age 30, was also hanged in Bandar Abbas prison on April 11.
Also previously, in a time span of just 13 days starting on 19 February 2013, eighty-two prisoners were executed in various prisons or in public across the country.
At the same time, thousands of prisoners are on the death row in prisons across country, including over 1100 prisoners in Gohardasht prison, 100 prisoners in central prison of Zahedan, and at least 100 prisoners in Bandar Abbas prison.
Wave of arrests in various cities, including the arrest of 210 youth in Ahwaz in just a five week span, and initiating patrols by SSF are amongst other suppressive measures by the regime in recent weeks. On the eve of its sham elections, while feuding between regime’s leaders has reached unprecedented levels and is reaching its final stage, and in fear of eruption of wrath of people under immense pressures that the regime calls them the “army of hungry”, the clerical regime has found its only escape in intensifying its crimes and suppression.
Denouncing the inaction in face of barbaric crimes of mullahs ruling Iran, the Iranian Resistance calls on all international bodies and human rights organizations to adopt urgent actions to stop this criminal trend.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
April 21, 2013