Iran Faces Global Outcry as Eight Political Prisoners Risk Execution Amid Record 853 Death Sentences

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• Eight political prisoners in Iran, including Abbas Daris and Mujahid Korkur, face imminent execution on charges linked to political protests and alleged violent acts. Daris was convicted for his role in the 2019 fuel price protests, and Korkur for his alleged involvement in the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests.
• Iran’s death sentences have surged, with 853 executions recorded in 2023, the highest in eight years. Recently, 22 prisoners were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison for various non-political crimes.
• Many of the prisoners at risk of execution, including Ali Majdam and others, were sentenced after enduring torture at IRGC intelligence detention centres.

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Iran Faces Global Outcry as Eight Political Prisoners Risk Execution Amid Record 853 Death Sentences

Eight prisoners in Iran’s Ahvaz, Shiban, and Sepidar prisons are at imminent risk of execution on political charges.

Among them is Abbas Daris, sentenced to death for his involvement in the 2019 protests. The protests erupted after the government raised fuel prices, leading to demonstrations across over 100 cities.

Daris and his brother, Moshen, were arrested in Mahshahr on charges including “waging war against God” and the murder of a police officer, Reza Sayadi.

The Mahshahr Revolutionary Court condemned Daris to death, a sentence the Supreme Court upheld despite objections from his lawyer, Fereshteh Tabanian.

Another prisoner, Mujahid Korkur, according to Iran Wire, was arrested during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests.

He was sentenced to death in 2023 for allegedly killing several people during protests in Izeh, including nine-year-old Kian Pirfalak, who was shot by security forces.

Kian’s father, Meysem Pirfalak, has denied Korkur’s involvement, stating the security forces were responsible for his son’s death.

Ali Majdam, Moein Khanfari, Salem Mousavi, Mohammad Reza Majdam, Adnan Mousavi, and Habib Daris also face execution.

These individuals were sentenced following months of torture at IRGC intelligence detention centres.

In a separate development, authorities executed 22 prisoners in Ghezelhesar Prison near Tehran on Wednesday.

The executed prisoners were convicted of various non-political crimes, including murder, drug offences, and rape.

This brings Iran’s death sentence executions to their highest level in eight years, with Amnesty International reporting 853 executions in 2023 alone.