Iranwire – The Islamic Republic’s judiciary has executed a Kurdish man who had spent years on death row for his alleged role in the killing of a security force member, according to a human rights organization.
The authorities hanged Heyman Mustafaei early on June 21 in Sanandaj Central Prison, in western Iran, as his family and civil activists were gathered outside the facility to plead for the cancellation of his execution, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported.
Mustafaei was arrested on March 1, 2013, and accused of killing a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
He was taken to the detention center of the Sanandaj Intelligence Department, where he endured physical and mental acts of torture that led to his confessions.
The prisoner was also denied access to legal representatives and visits from his family.
The Sanandaj Criminal Court initially sentenced Mustafaei to four years in prison for weapons possession, but the sentence was later changed to capital punishment for murder.
Human rights advocates have accused the Iranian authorities of escalating executions to try to instill fear in society following months of nationwide protests sparked by the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.
According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group, the Islamic Republic executed at least 142 people in May, the highest monthly number since 2015.