Report of an Execution in Aligudarz Prison

At dawn on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, the execution of a prisoner previously sentenced to death on charges of murder was carried out in Aligudarz Prison, Lorestan province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, the executed individual has been identified as Mohammad Javad Gudarzi.

As of the time of this report, the execution has not been officially announced by prison authorities or related institutions.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 777 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 207 individuals to death and the execution of 883 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 772 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Woman Killed in Police Shooting Incident

In Aligudarz, Lorestan Province, tragedy struck when police mistakenly opened fire on a vehicle, resulting in the death of 21-year-old Negar Karimian.

According to her sister’s social media post, on March 9, 2024, police fired upon their vehicle, mistaking it for another, injuring Negar. Despite efforts, she succumbed to her injuries in the hospital.

Reports suggest that the police suspected the vehicle of involvement in drug smuggling, leading to the tragic mistake.

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) documented 402 incidents of civilians being shot by military forces. These incidents resulted in 120 civilian deaths, including 20 Kolbars (border carriers), 37 fuel carriers, and 63 other civilians. Additionally, 282 individuals were injured, comprising 228 Kolbars, 31 ordinary civilians, and 23 fuel carriers.

Hamed Palizvan Arrested and Incarcerated in Aligudarz Prison

On December 24, Hamed Palizvan was confined in Aligudarz prison to begin serving his sentence. Tragically, his nephew, Omid Azarkhosh, became a victim of regime forces during the 2021-2022 Iranian protests related to water shortages and mismanagement by the government.

Palizvan had previously been sentenced by the Aligudarz Criminal Court to eight months in prison, including the detention period, on charges of “disturbing public order through participation in illegal protest rallies.”

Palizvan’s arrest can be traced back to the 2022 nationwide protests when security forces detained him, leading to his imprisonment in Khorramabad Prison. He was subsequently released on bail.

Omid Azarkhosh, Palizvan’s nephew, had previously been shot by the police in Aligudarz and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital a few days later.

Three Inmates Convicted of Murder Executed across Different Prisons

On August 26 and 27, 2023, three inmates who had previously been found guilty of murder faced execution in separate instances across Zarand, Saqqez, and Aligudarz.

According to HRANA, on August 26, Milad Yazdanpanah, 30 years old, was executed in Zarand Prison, located in Kerman province. Sources close to his family informed HRANA that Yazdanpanah had been sentenced to death six years ago following a conviction for murder.

Kurdpa reported the execution of Vafa Kharamani, an inmate, on August 27, in Saqqez prison. Two years prior, he had received a death sentence for committing murder.

Finally, Iran Human Rights Organization reported the execution of Sobhan Efterkhareddin, aged 35, in Aligudarz, situated in Lorestan Province, on August 27. Efterkhareddin had been found guilty of murder approximately three and a half years ago.

At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

 

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations


Saturday, April 30

A number of workers of Shush Municipality held protests in front of the governorate building in this city. These workers demanded four months of unpaid wages, two months of unpaid insurance employer contribution and official employment contracts.

One of the workers said: “in total, more than 300 workers work for Shush Municipality through contractors. Many of them have been working for the municipality for about 18 years. Along with wages arrears and unpaid insurance contributions, they wanted to be officially recruited by the municipality.”

A group of workers of IGC contractor company working in a Gas Complex Project NGL3100 in Dehloran went on strike. These workers asked for increasing wages and a work schedule of 20 days on/10 days off.
At the same time, the workers of two contractor companies working in Damavand Petrochemical Company and the Gas Tank Manufacturing Company Gheytasi went on strike.

Sunday, May 1

In response to a call by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, the retired and working teachers and educators in 45 cities assembled in front of the building of the Ministry of Education. Due to the presence of many security agents before the ministry of education in Tehran, the teachers gathered in several parks in the city.

More than 450 workers of Shushtar Karun Sugarcane Agro-Industry held protests at company premises and before the governorate building in Shushtar city. They demanded official employment contracts for seasonal workers, more workforce to reduce the workload and closing disparities in wages.

A number of pharmacists assembled and protested before Food and Drug Administration in Tehran. One of The protestors said: “It was going to form a workgroup consisting of Food and Drug Administration, the Medical Council and the representatives of pharmacists to address the issues. Yet, so far, such workgroup has not formed.” According to these pharmacists, their jobs have been damaged by a pharmaceutical Mafia.

 

A number of farmers in Mobarakeh City in Isfahan Province gathered before the governorate building in this city to ask for their ware ration.

A number of Social Security pensioners held protests in Arak, Ahvaz, Rasht and Kermanshah before the social security organization’s offices in each city. Their demands include raising pensions to stand above the poverty line, implementing a plan to close disparities in pension and wages, and addressing supplementary insurance issues.

A group of Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry gathered and protested at the company premises.

A number of workers of Shush Municipality went again on strike in protest against the unpaid wages and the unpaid insurance employer contributions.

Monday, May 2

A group of Shushtar Karun Sugarcane Agro-Industry in Khuzestan Province held a protest. These workers demanded modifications in their employment contracts. One of the workers said: “the workers consist of two groups with two different demands. one group who works for contractors and wanted to be recruited directly by the company and the second group have been already recruited by the company but they want permanent and official contracts for the sake of job security.”

Continuing their protest, workers of Shush Municipality gathered to ask for three to four months’ unpaid wages and insurance employer contributions.

On the occasion of teacher appreciation day, a group of teachers and educators in Aligudarz gathered to ask for their demands. They also chanted in protest against the arrest of teacher Ebrahimi Mahmoodi.

 

Thursday, May 5

Along with their families, a group of teacher union activists of Sanandaj and Mariwan held protests on the day of the minister of education’s visit to Sanandaj City. Holding placards in their hands, they demanded the release of the detained teachers Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah.

A group of workers of the Ali-Sadr Cave Tourist-Recreational Complex gathered to protest against not addressing their work demands.

The residents of the rural district of Jowshaqan-e Qali in Isfahan Province gathered to protest against mining activities in the region. According to these protestors, the Iron mine activity in the mountains has endangered the ecosystem.

 

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