By Reza Shafa
It is extremely difficult to find the proper words to describe what really goes on in Iran. Mathematical concepts such as numbers and statistics have lost their true meanings when it comes to violation of human rights in Iran.
On September 5, the Amnesty International was "appalled at the reports of the execution of 21 people." So far this year, more than 250 prisoners have been hanged which is more than double the figure in the same period last year according to the state-run media in Iran.
Since July 2007, the start of so-called "public security" drive with various "phases" such as combating "mal-veiling" followed by sweeping "hooligans and thugs" more than 80 prisoners were hanged. In past two years over 60 political prisoners were executed.
There are more than 600 prisoners on death row in Gohardasht Prison, in the outskirt of Karaj, approximately 20 km west of Tehran. The list goes on and on.
"Since Ahmadinjad’s ascendancy to power, more than 450 hangings have been officially reported in Iran. The actual figure is believed to be much higher," the German daily, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on September 3.
"The scope of capital crimes in Iran remains extraordinarily large and includes vaguely worded charges, such as "enmity against God" (moharebeh ba Khoda) "being corrupt on earth" (mofsed fil arz), which refer, inter alia, to those accused of using firearms against the state…," Amnesty International added in its Public Statement number 171 published on September 5.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Louise Arbour’s visit to Tehran to participate in Ahmadinjad’s conference on human rights, ironically coincided with group hanging of 21 prisoners in northeastern city of Mashhad and southern city of Shiraz on September 5.
Much to anyone’s surprise when families of political prisoners risked their lives to go and see her outside UN building in Tehran, they were arrested by the State Security Forces (SSF) and agents of Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). Ms. Arbour later said that she was not in Iran on her official capacity as the high commissioner.
I guess the problem with Iran and the mullahs hanging even "child offenders," as Amnesty International notes, is not that the world and in particular human rights bodies such as UNHRC do not know about it. In fact, it is an intentional mandate to turn a blind eye on the gruesome violation of human rights in Iran. When the EU officials insist on appeasing the mullahs someone has to pay the price dearly; the Iranian people no doubt do.
Reza Shafa is an expert on the Iranian regime’s intelligence networks, both in Iran and abroad. He has done extensive research on VAVAK (MOIS), IRGC’s Intelligence Office, and Quds Force among others. Currently he is a contributor to NCRI website.
