Nearly Forty Protesters At Risk of Execution: Rights Group

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says the conflict took place after the detainees protested to the transfer of several prisoners, who had been sentenced to death, to a separate section for execution.

At least 100 prisoners have reportedly been wounded after prison officers opened fire to suppress resistance by prisoners, says HRANA. One government official said a prisoner was killed when others threw rocks, but there is no independent confirmation of how he was killed.

Iranian officials usually either under-report the number of casualties or the information is released belatedly.

It is still not clear what the role of detained antigovernment protesters was in the prison clash, but an jailed human rights activist, Saeed Eghbali, send a message via phone that prison officials in recent days were constantly moving political prisoners to solitary cells, a move usually undertaken before executing people. This action was clearly intended as psychological torture.

“Prison officials were planning the execution of four inmates when a number of prisoners started chanting slogans. The protest turned into a confrontation with the intervention of the guards who shot and injured over one hundred,” an informed source told HRANA.

A man driving near the Karaj prison describes the heavy presence of security forces and firetrucks, as he calls on citizens to drive to the location

A witness who drove to the prison at around 20:00 local time, as calls went out to people to congregate outside to prevent the government from employing violence, told Iran International that it was impossible to approach the perimeter, but he could hear repeated gunshots.

“The prisoners broke a number of doors and cameras in protest against the violent behavior of the jail officials,” HRANA said.

The four prisoners, who are sentenced to death are now in solitary confinement, but their identity has not been revealed yet.

Some activists on social media called on the people to immediately congregate outside the prison to prevent another tragedy like the Evin prison fire in Tehran.

On October 15, a series of incidents including a fire, explosions and automatic gun fire occurred at Evin Prison. At least eight inmates died, and 57 others were injured according to government sources.

Officials said during a fight between several prisoners in Ward 6 and Ward 7, both of which are special prisons for financial and theft convicts, the sewing workshop of the prison caught fire.

However, some journalists and people on social media accused the Islamic Republic of setting the prison on fire intentionally.

This has led to some speculations on social media that the clerical regime is planning another Evin tragedy to kill some prisoners while it is under pressure by the international community for the execution of two protesters last week.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Alborz province Hossein Harikandi claimed Saturday that there was just a limited clash between the prisoners of “the drug dealers ward, during which a number of prisoners set fire to some blankets.”

He further alleged that the security of the prison is restored, and the prisoners are safe.

Some reports said the situation was tense near the prison in the evening and internet data is completely unavailable on mobile phones in Karaj.

The father of Abulfazl Adinezadeh, a 17-year-old teenager who was shot dead by 24 bullets in the religious city of Mashhad, harshly condemned the execution of protesters ordered by Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, Iran’s Chief Justice.

“How is it possible that you issue a death sentence for the death of a Basij militiaman within 23 days, but in my son’s case, the murderer has not been identified after 70 days and you have not allowed our lawyers to investigate the case,” he said in an Instagram post.

Iranian security forces killed Abolfazl Adinezadeh by firing a shotgun at him at point-blank range in the city of Mashhad on October 8. He died as a result of liver and kidney damage caused by birdshot, according to the BBC.

Saeed Eghbali, a human rights activist and political prisoner, in an audio file sent to Iran International from a prison near Tehran, asked people to keep holding demonstrations to stop the execution of protesters in Iran.

Earlier, Amnesty International announced in a statement that at least 26 people who were arrested during the uprising against the Islamic Republic are at risk of execution.

The protest actions have reportedly taken place in Mahshahr, Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Gachsaran and Tang-e-Bijar.

Firefighters in Kharg Island and the staff of a chemical studies Company in the southern oil-rich regions have also stopped working on Saturday.

The Telegram channels of the Council for Organizing Oil Contract-Workers' Protests as well as the Free Workers’ Union have published details and photos of these protests.

According to reports, the strikes were held in protest to inattention to the demands of these workers, including higher wages and retirement bonuses.

In its latest statement, the Council for Organizing Oil Contract-Workers' Protests called for a nationwide strike by the workers saying that the move is to protest “lack of job security.”

The strikes are also seen as support for ongoing anti-regime protests. “We all know that executions and repressions serve to enslave us more, and workers would suffer the consequence,” reads the statement.

During the nationwide protests in Iran in the past three months, workers, and employees in various industrial, production and energy sectors have held numerous protest gatherings and strikes.

Low wages, non-payment of arrears, and inattention to their demands have been mentioned as among their main grievances.

US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel said the eyes of the world are upon Iran right now – and human rights violations – inflicted by Iran’s government on its own people must not go without consequence.

He told a press briefing on Friday Washington is gravely concerned that authorities reportedly continue to kill more of their own people in an effort to suppress peaceful protests.

“We also continue to remain deeply concerned about reports of mass arrests, sham trials, and now death sentences being handed down to protesters and carried out as well,” underlined Patel.

He further reiterated that the JCPOA is not the focus right now, and the US candidly remains very skeptical of anything coming out of Tehran on this issue, whether it be issues relating to the IAEA or other things.

Meanwhile, President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola expressed solidarity with Iranians in a Tweet Friday saying “the women, men and all those protesting in the streets of Iran have inspired the world. We have stood by you and will stay with you.”

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) announced in its latest report that from September 17 until Friday, December 16, at least 495 protestors have been killed, of which at least 68 were minors.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement Friday “The hypocritical approach of sponsors of this resolution in exploiting international institutes to exert pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran is a clear example of abusing sublime human rights concepts and values to pursue short-sighted political objectives.”

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a series of resolutions on December 15, with one condemning serious rights violations by Iran.

The resolution titled, “Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran” passed by a recorded vote of 80 in favor and 29 against, with 65 abstentions.

Iran’s spokesman reiterated claims that this is part of the efforts of Western countries to maintain the “Iranophobia project” and “psychological war” against the Islamic Republic.

Meanwhile, several Iranian Friday Imams called the United Nations a “victim” of goals pursued by the United Sates in their sermons on Friday.

The resolution expressed serious concern at the significant increase in use of the death penalty in Iran; disproportionate application of the death penalty to persons belonging to minorities; and continuing disregard for protections under Iranian law or internationally recognized safeguards relating to the death penalty.

It strongly urged Iran to eliminate all forms of systemic discrimination and other human rights violations against women and girls; ensure women’s and girls’ equal protection and access to justice, including by prohibiting so-called honor killings and child, early and forced marriage.

The resolution further called on the regime to lift restrictions on women’s and girls’ equal access to primary and secondary education; and remove legal and cultural barriers to women’s equal participation in the labor market and all aspects of economic, cultural, and political life.

The Assembly also expressed serious concern that the enforcement of the hijab and chastity law and its violent implementation by the Iranian morality police fundamentally undermines the human rights of women and girls.

It strongly urged Iran to cease the use of excessive force against peaceful protestors, such as in the aftermath of Mahsa Amini’s arbitrary arrest and subsequent death while in custody.

Further, it called on Iran to eliminate all forms of discrimination based on thought, religion, or belief, reiterating the importance of independent investigations for all allegations of human rights violations, including excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest, detention and torture.

The Assembly also called on Iran to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, including by accepting repeated requests to visit the country.

The new draft resolution comes just days after the Islamic Republic was voted out from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for policies contrary to the rights of women and girls.

On Wednesday, members of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted a US-drafted resolution to "remove with immediate effect the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term" over the regime’s bloody crackdown on protests ignited by the death of a young woman in custody of hijab – or the so-called “morality” -- police.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Out of the 54-member body, 29 members voted in favor of the resolution while eight voted against and 16 countries abstained. The Islamic Republic itself, Palestine, Syria, Cuba, China, Russia, Eritrea, Belarus, Zimbabwe, and North Korea voted to keep Iran in the body.

The vote was the first time in United Nations history that a country was expelled from the commission.