Families of Executed Sunni Prisoners; Targets of Authorities’ Harassments

HRANA News Agency – After mass execution of at least 20 Sunni prisoners in Rajaei Shahr on August 1st, some of their family members were witnessed they are buried, now these families are stuck in a disturbing game and left in bewilderment. Some officials in Behsht-e-Zahra (cemetery) told these families who went to request for some service related to the graves that they were empty, and after these families tried to get some information from Rajaei Shahr prison, the authorities told that, “They were just transferred there; they are not dead that you are looking for their graves”.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the families of executed Sunni prisoners of Rajaei Shahr became the victim of disturbing answers of authorities during their efforts to receive normal services by the cemetery.
A close source to some of these families told HRANA’s reporter, “families of executed prisoners were in the cemetery in order to do the grave related matters, but after authorities gave them the grave numbers, they said that the graves were empty. Behesht-e-Zahra (cemetery) employees helped these families to find the graves, because some of the family members have witnessed the burial of executed prisoners. Eventually, families visited the deputy manager of the cemetery, and this authority after some phone calls has told them to check the matter with the intelligence service or Rajaei Shahr prison”.
This source continued, “After these families went to Rajaei Shahr prison the next day, authorities told them that those prisoners were just transferred there and did not die that they were searching for their graves. All the names in the list were denied. This is how they are harassing the families of these executed prisoners”.
Despite the fact that judicial officials have reported the number of Sunni prisoners who were executed to be 20, without mentioning their names, but HRANA’s reporter could trace these prisoners from their families. This issue will be publicized in a separate report.
Need to be mentioned, following the raid of prison guards to ward number 10 of Rajaei Shahr prison on August 1st, at least 36 Sunni prisoners were transferred to solitary confinements. The mass execution of an unknown number of prisoners was performed the next day at dawn, without last visit with families.
HRANA previously published the defense of 4 of these prisoners regarding their charges before the execution.
Worth noting that at least 11 other Sunni prisoners are on death row and imminent threat of being executed. From a case known as “Jihad and Tohid group”, only two are alive. Around 50 Sunni prisoners are kept in this prison 9, of whom are sentenced to death; but after the recent unprecedented mass executions they are spending their lives between hope and fear.
HRANA has issued a statement by emphasizing that these behaviors are the continuation of mentalities of creators of summer 1988 and reacted to mass execution of at least 20 Sunni prisoners. This organization has condemned the executions and stated that the victims had been deprived of having lawyer and fair trial, and consequences of such actions will harm the stability and public order of the country. Also 240 of political and civil rights activist condemned this mass execution in a statement.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *