Executed Iranian prisoners described torture before death, report says
Three Iranian prisoners executed over the weekend described torture, forced confessions and denied legal rights in messages shared with The Jerusalem Post before their deaths, according to a report citing the Kurdistan Human Rights Network.
Yaghoub Karimpour, 43, and Nasser Bakerzadeh, 26, were hanged Saturday, while Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, 28, was executed Sunday at Orumiyeh Central Prison. None were granted final visits with their families, the report said.
Karimpour, who was accused of espionage, said he confessed under pressure after authorities threatened his wife. “Many things were dictated to me, and I wrote untruths involuntarily and out of helplessness,” he wrote.
Bakerzadeh, also accused of spying, said he endured months of solitary confinement and “severe psychological torture.”
Abdollahzadeh, who denied involvement in a protest-related killing, said he was beaten for days and coerced into confessing. “I am completely innocent, but they want to make me a scapegoat,” he said.
According to the report, all three cases involved allegations of coerced confessions, lack of legal representation and trials lasting only minutes.
Posted by Jasmine Baehr