Kurdish prisoner Behrouz Alkhani and five others executed in Iran

The Iranian regime continues executions of prisoners despite all the appeals and objections raised by Amnesty International and many other human rights organizations.

The Iranian regime continues executions of prisoners despite all the appeals and objections raised by Amnesty International and many other human rights organizations.

Yesterday, Amnesty International reported that Behrouz Alkhani, a 30-year-old man from Iran’s Kurdish minority was transferred out of Orumiyeh prison’s general ward and placed in solitary confinement in preparation for his imminent execution, despite the fact that he was still awaiting the outcome of a Supreme Court appeal.

According to information provided by local sources, Behrouz Alkhani and five ordinary prisoners have been executed in Orumiyeh city of Rojhilat (East) Kurdistan this morning.

While Behrouz Alkhani's family was granted a last visit earlier yesterday and was told by prison officials that the execution would be carried out the next day, families of other prisoners had also been waiting outside the prison since yesterday demanding the halting of death penalties.

Following the executions this morning, bodies of Alkhani and other five ordinary prisoners were handed over to their families.

Kurdish political prisoner Behrouz Alkhani, born in Salmas in 1985, was arrested in January 2010 and held in solitary confinement apparently for more than a year without access to a lawyer or his family.

In 2011, he was convicted by a Revolutionary Court on charges of “effective collaboration with PJAK” (Party of Free Life of Kurdistan) and “enmity against God” (moharebeh) for his alleged role in the assassination of the Prosecutor of Khoy, West Azerbaijan province. He was also sentenced to 10 years in prison in relation to the possession and procurement of arms. His sentence was later overturned by the Supreme Court and sent back to Branch 10 of the Appeal Court of Oroumieh province for a retrial. The Appeal court however sentenced Behrouz Alkhani to death once again. He has appealed the sentence but has not yet been informed of the outcome.

Kurdish political prisoner Sîrwan Nejawîyi was also executed by the Iranian regime earlier this month after his arrest on 5ht July 2012.