Flogging and torture of prisoners in public intensified
From May 23 to 29, cities of Karaj, Tabriz, Kerman, Gachsaran, Mashhad and Ardebil were the scene of execution of 31 prisoners; three of whom, including two men of 27, were hanged in public in Mashhad on Wednesday, May 27.
As in the previous weeks, these days the Ghezel Hessar Prison was the shambles for dozens of prisoners. Just on May 24 and 25, twenty-two prisoners were hanged in this prison. A number of these prisoners were Baluchis. Another prisoner was also hanged in Gohardasht Prison on May 25.
The barbaric rule in Iran has ramped up the cruel punishment of lashing and torture of prisoners in public in tandem with the escalation in the wave of executions.
On May 23, the Justice of Khorassan Razavi Province reported of “firm treatment of culprits” and wrote: “In order to implement justice and proactive measures, the judicial system carried out three sentences for public lashing in Joghtai County… to serve as a serious warning to all those who transgress God’s restrictions.”
On May 19, a sentence to lash a prisoner in Shahin Villa of Karaj was carried out. On the previous day, regime’s henchmen gave a prisoner 111 lashes in public before hanging him in public.
Hanging and torturing prisoners in public that is aimed at ratcheting up the atmosphere of horror to contain social protests are carried out under the pretext of “villainy”, “disrupting security”, “theft” and “smuggling narcotics”. But the fact is that the greatest source of villainy, insecurity, distribution of drugs — not just in Iran, but in the Middle East and in large swathes of the world — is the religious fascism ruling Iran. Only with the uprooting of this regime will Iran, the region, and the world have peace and tranquility.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
May 30, 2015
