US condemns Iran’s execution of four Kurdish prisoners

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US on Tuesday condemned the execution of four Kurdish political prisoners in Iran a day prior, slamming Tehran’s “blatant disregard for human rights.”  

The office of the special envoy for Iran said it “strongly” condemned the execution, adding that it had received reports of “torture and unfair trials.” 

Iran on Monday carried out the death sentence of four Kurdish political prisoners, Mohsen Mazloum, Mohammad Faramarzi, Vafa Azarbar, and Pejman Fatehi. All four were members of the Komala party, one of the several Kurdish opposition groups outlawed by Iran. 

These groups have also been accused by the Islamic republic of fueling protests and inciting unrest in the country. 

According to Iran’s judiciary, they were accused of planning an attack against a “manufacturing plant attached to the Ministry of Defense in Isfahan.” 

We strongly condemn the Iranian regime’s execution of four Kurdish-Iranian men following reports of torture and unfair trials. These executions underscore the regime’s blatant disregard for human rights. We will continue to hold Iran to account for its human rights violations.

— Office of the Special Envoy for Iran (@USEnvoyIran) January 30, 2024

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, a rights watchdog, condemned the executions and said that the defendants were deprived of their rights to a fair and free trial during the process.

In December, Hengaw reported that Iranian prisons had executed 144 Kurdish prisoners in 2023, a significant rise from 2022, in which Iran executed 52 Kurdish prisoners.

The death penalty has also been used to suppress minority groups, like Kurds and Baluchis, who were active in the “Jin Jiyan Azadi” protests in 2022 following the killing of Zhina Mahsa Amini. 

Many of those who are executed in Iran are convicted based on confessions condemned by rights groups as often obtained under duress.