Three Iranian Kurdish Political Prisoner Executedسه زندانی سیاسی کرد در زندان رجایی شهر کرج اعدام شدند

September 8, 2018

Iran Human Rights (IHR); Sep 9, 2018: Three Iranian Kurdish political prisoner, Ramin Hossein Panahi, Loghman Moradi and Zanyar Moradi, were executed this morning at Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj.

IHR strongly condemns the execution. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson for IHR, said: "Zanyar Moradi, Loghman Moradi, and Ramin Hossein Panahi were all subjected to torture and sentenced to death following unfair trials based on forced confessions. Their execution is a crime and the Iranian authorities, including the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, must be held accountable for this crime.”

IHR had earlier warned against the imminent danger and called on international community to do their best to prevent their executions. On September 8, Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, have appealed to Iran to halt the imminent executions of Ramin and two other Iranian Kurd political prisoners, Zanyar Moradi and Loghman Moradi.

Loghman and Zanyar Moradi were sentenced to death on 22 December 2010 by branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of murdering the son of Marivan’s Friday prayer Imam. They had denied the charges and said that the initial confessions were extracted under torture.

According to a statement by Ahmad Shaheed, the previous UN Special Rapporteur for the human rights in Iran issued in March 2012, “Zanyar and Loghman Moradi were compelled to confess to allegations of murder after being severely beaten and threatened with rape.” The statement also said: "… no evidence or witnesses were brought against these men, and that they did not have reasonable access to their legal counsel.”

Ramin Hossein Panahi was shot and arrested by the agents of the Revolutionary Guard on Friday, June 23, 2017. The agents claimed that he was armed, but Ramin’s family had strongly denied the claim. Ramin's trial was held on January 15, 2017. He was sentenced to death in the first session on the charge of "rebellion against the regime, acting against the national security, and being a member of Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan." His execution was approved by branch 39 of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 10, 2018.