IRAN: 26 PRISONERS HANGED IN TWO DAYS

May 17, 2012: According to the official and unofficial reports 26 prisoners were executed in three different Iranian prisons in two days.
Ten of the executions were announced by official Iranian media while 16 other executions were reported by a rights group.
According to the official site of the Iranian judiciary in Kermanshah seven prisoners were hanged in the central prison of this city on May 16.
All the prisoners were convicted of drug-related charges said the report.
According to the report the prisoners executed in Kermanshah are identified as:
"A. A." (woman) for keeping and carrying 27 kilograms of heroin, "R. A." for participation in keeping and carrying 100 kilograms of morphine and 254 kilograms of opium, "Kh. Sh." for participation in keeping and carrying 57 kilograms of opium, "M. B." for participation in keeping and carrying 69 kilograms of opium, "A. S." for participation in keeping and carrying 4 kilos and 548 grams of morphine, "M. S."For participation in keeping and carrying narcotics (not specified in the report), and "M. Kh." for participation in keeping and carrying 1529 grams of crack.
The official website of the Iranian judiciary in Ardebil (northeastern Iran) reported about execution of three prisoners in the prison of Ardebil on May 17. According to the report the prisoners were convicted of buying and carrying 105 grams of heroin, 498,15 grams of heroin and 160 kilograms and 493 grams of opium. None of the prisoners were identified by their names.
According to a report by the group "Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran" (HRDAI), 16 prisoners were hanged in the prison of Yazd on May 17.
According to the report there were four women among the prisoners executed.
The report also said that five of the 16 prisoners were Afghan citizens. One of the Afghan prisoners executed was identified by "Mohammad Damardeh" (25 year old) son of Nour Mohammad originally imprisoned for illegal immigration to Iran but later the case changed to drug trafficking, said the report.
The executions in Yazd have still not been confirmed by the official Iranian sources. (Sources: Iran Human Rights, 17/05/2012)