The 19 January executions of 10 drug trafficking suspects brings  total number of executions to an alarming 97 in one month (19 December to 19 January), a trend that continues despite the questions and skepticism surrounding several of the political and drug-related executions.  The Iranian Judiciary has reported of the upcoming executions of several drug-crimes suspects in various provinces over the coming days.

Statistics pertaining to the recent executions are taken from official sources.  On 19 December alone, 22 executions took place in Iran.  The executions of 10 suspects inside Mashad’s Vakilabad Prison are not included in the Iranian Judiciary’s statistics, but the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran published the number based on reports from reliable local sources.  Though the statistics provided by the Iranian Judiciary demonstrate a glaring increase in the number of executions in Iran, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran believes that the total number of executions inside the country’s various prisons is not reported completely.

During the past several months, the Campaign has reported frequent executions inside Mashad’s Vakilabad Prison, a subject about which the Islamic Republic of Iran authorities refuse to provide any explanation.  Other sources have also reported of executions of drug-crimes suspects inside other prisons, such as the Birjand Prison, and the Campaign will publish the detailed information it has received about those executions.
Most of those executed in the past month were suspects of drug trade including 10 in Karaj’s Rajaee Shahr Prison on 19 January, one in Kerman’s Zarand Prison on 18 January, five in Khorramabad on 13 January, seven in Tehran on 12 January, four in Isfahan Prison on 8 January, two in Boroujerd Prison on 7 January, one in Esfarayen on 8 January, 16 in Ahvaz Prison on 5 January, seven in Kermanshah Prison on 3 January, eight in Qom Prison on 1 January, one in Sari Prison on 25 December 2010, and two in Saveh on 4 December 2010.  One suspect was also hung on 20 January in Bojnord Prison.

The Campaign press release on “Iran on “Execution Binge;” Immediate Moratorium Urged”

Two political prisons, Ali Saremi and Ali Akbar Siadat were also hanged inside Evin Prison in Tehran on 28 December 2010.  On 15 January, IRIB’s Central News Unit reported the execution of a political prisoner inside the Orumiyeh Prison, but did not mention the prisoner’s identity.  According to news disseminated from inside Orumiyeh Prison, political prisoner Hossein Khezri was transferred to an unknown location a few days before this news; therefore, it is said that the executed prisoner is Hossein Khezri, a Kurdish political prisoner.

With 22 executions in one day, 20 December 2010 became one of the days with the highest execution statistics for the Iranian Judiciary.  On this day, there were 10 executions in Mashad’s Vakilabad Prison, and 11 members of the Jondollah Group were executedin Zahedan.  Official authorities claimed that the 11 individuals executed in Zahedan were affiliated with the Jondollah Group, but so far there has been no information about their names or the nature of their affiliation with Jondollah.  A serial killer was also hanged in Qazvin on 20 December 2010.

Four individuals were executed inside the Zahedan Prison on the charge of kidnapping on 1 January.  Also on 3 January, an individual by the name of Bahman Rigi was executed in Zahedan Prison on charges of murdering four people.  Another individual was also executed on 12 January on rape charges.  Yaghoub Ali Jafari, a.k.a. “The Kaj Square Murderer,” was executed on 5 January during a public hanging.