Iran's Mass Executions and Abuses Continue
Iran's dismal record on human rights has been reinforced once again, via the latest wave of mass executions, prisoner abuses, and clampdowns on those who stand against its theocratic regime.
On August 4, 2014, 40 prisoners were killed at Shahr-e Kord prison in an intentional slaughter when firefighters were denied access to extinguish a blaze, and 11 prisoners were hanged en masse on August 18 at Qezel Hessar prison. A total of over 60 prisoners were killed and dozens were wounded including families of prisoners on death row who protested outside the Qezel Hessar prison, where tear gas, batons, and water cannons were used to disperse the crowds.
On August 13, more than 60 agents of Evin prison's protection unit raided Ward 250 under the pretext of conducting an inspection, destroying and confiscating prisoner's belongings. The same ward was raided on April 17, where henchmen battered and injured several prisoners under the pretense of carrying out an inspection. Political prisoner Gholamreza Khossravi was severely beaten and injured before being transferred to solitary confinement. He was later hanged on June 1 for supporting the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
On August 13, after months of exile, Arzhang Davoudi was transferred to Gohardasht prison after completing his sentence and was sentenced to death when intelligence interrogators produced false documents against him. This event illustrated how Iranian prison authorities often deny medical treatment to political prisoners in particular.
In another gruesome attack, Reza Fallah was flogged 100 times and then hanged August 6 in the city of Karaj. Ms. Maryam Rajavi, President elect of the Iranian Resistance, has urged western governments to make human rights issues a main topic in their nuclear talks with Iran, stating, "Turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in Iran . . . will only embolden the ruling mullahs to perpetuate more atrocities and to continue its disregard for UN Security Council resolutions."
Sources: http://irannewsupdate.com, www.ncr-iran.org
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