Iran today executed Hemin Mostafaei, who had previously been sentenced to death for the alleged “murder” of a member of the Revolutionary Guards, in Sanandaj Central Prison.
From last night until the early hours of this morning, the prisoner’s family and some civil rights activists gathered in front of the prison to demand the cancellation of the execution.
Mostafaei, who comes from Marivan, Kurdistan province, was transferred to solitary confinement on 19 June in preparation for his execution.
Similarly, on 21 June 2017, Mostafaei was transferred to solitary confinement for execution, but dozens of civil society activists and civilians held a protest gathering and obtained the consent of the victim’s family to halt the execution temporarily.
The cases of several death row prisoners, including Mostafaei, were sent to the Enforcement of Judgements Office on the orders of the Public Prosecutor of Sanandaj following a protest by prisoners in September 2022.
On 1 October 2022, Mostafaei was transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Sanandaj after the prison guards suppressed the protest.
He was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture in the Ministry of Intelligence and denied the right to family visits.
He was returned to Sanandaj Central Prison after a 10-day hunger strike following five months in the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre.
Mostafaei was arrested on 1 March 2013 in Marivan, Kurdistan province, on charges of “murdering” Ebrahim Mohammadi, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and taken to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention centre in Sanandaj.
According to sources close to the prisoner’s family, under interrogation and severe physical and psychological torture, he “took responsibility” for the murder.
He also agreed to accept the scenario prepared by the interrogators under the threats and promises of the security interrogators.
Three other civilians, Bayan Kakaei, Hiwa Dad-Afarin and Khalil Shirzadi, were also arrested on charges of involvement in the murder.
On 30 December 2013, Iran’s state-run Press TV published the forced confessions of the four prisoners.
Mostafaei was a member of a Kurdish party for some time before his arrest, but resigned after a short time and returned to Marivan in coordination with the Ministry of Intelligence.
The Criminal Court of Sanandaj initially sentenced him to death on charges of “premeditated murder” and four years in prison on charges of “possession of weapons”.
Although the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC demanded that the case accusing Mostafaei of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) be upheld, the Supreme Court dismissed the case on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
