IRAN: EIGHT PRISONERS HANGED, INCLUDING TWO MINORS

February 3, 2017: Eight prisoners, including two minors, were executed in Iran in recent days, Iran Human Rights agency reported.
On January 15, a juvenile prisoner who was convicted of murder at the age of 16, was executed in Kerman (southeastern Iran).
"Arman Bahr Asemani, born February 10, 1997, convicted in November 2012 of murdering his cousin, was hanged at Kerman's Shahab Prison," a close source tells Iran Human Rights.
"Bahr Asemani, who was 20 years old at the time of his execution, had also been condemned to 74 lashings on the charge of consumption of alcohol. Hs lawyer had attempted to argue that if [Arman] was drunk, then he should not have been charged with first degree murder, but the lawyer never got anywhere," says the close source.
Another juvenile prisoner was hanged on January 18 at Tabriz Prison, the human rights news agency HRANA reported.
The prisoner, identified as Hassan Hassanzadeh, was reportedly around 15 years old when he was convicted of murder. He was reportedly jailed for about two and a half years before he was executed at the age of 18.
On January 28, two prisoners were reportedly hanged at Lakan, Rasht's central Prison. 
According to a report by the Iranian state-run news agency IRIB, the two prisoners at Rasht's central prison were hanged on drug related charges. 
The report identifies the prisoners as "R.Z.", 26 years old, and "M.A.", 39 years old.
R.Z. was reportedly sentenced to death on the charge of trafficking one kilogram of crystal meth and M.A. was reportedly sentenced to death on the charge of buying and selling three kilograms of heroin.
On January 29, a total of four prisoners were hanged in public in Mashhad and Bandar Abbas.
IRIB reports on two unidentified prisoners who were executed in public in Bandar Abbas. 
The prisoners were reportedly 26 and 22 years old and their charges include two counts of rape, abduction, and assault & battery.
The Iranian state-run news agency, Mizan, which is tied to Iran's Judiciary, reported on the execution of two prisoners which were both carried out in public in Mashhad.
The prisoners were reportedly sentenced to death on the charge of Moharebeh (enmity against God) through armed robbery and creating a state of fear & terror.
According to Mizan, in 2014, the two prisoners were involved in an armed robbery in which they fired shots while fleeing the scene of the crime and caused injuries. (Sources: Iran Human Rights, 29/01/2017; 01/02/2017)