Execution of Two Political Prisoners in Urmia Prison

The death sentences of two political prisoners were carried out this morning in the Urmia Prison.

According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, Diako Rasoulzadeh and Saber Sheikh Abdullah, two political prisoners, were executed in Urmia this morning, July 14^th, 2020.

The two prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement to serve their death sentences, yesterday July 13^th, 2020.

According to the reports received by the campaign, at around 1 am today, Tuesday, July 14, the death sentences of these two political prisoners were carried out in the compound of Urmia Prison.

In a statement issued this morning, Amnesty International called for an end to the executions of the two political prisoners, and calling the sentences unjust.

The bodies of the two political prisoners have not yet been returned to their families.

Diako Rasoulzadeh on February 25^th, 2014 and Saber Sheikh Abdullah on March 15^th, 2014, were arrested by security forces on a street in Mahabad.

Saber Sheikh Abdullah and Diako Rasoulzadeh, were arrested on charges of involvement in the bombing of the Iranian Armed Forces’ annual parade in Mahabad on September 22^nd, 2010.

The relatives of the two prisoners told the campaign that there were contradictions in their files: “Saber Sheikh Abdullah was a soldier during the bombing. According to Mr. Rasoulzadeh ‘s relatives, even the officials of the military base where he was a soldier had testified that he was in the base at the time of the bombing.”

The two detainees endured psychological and physical pressure and torture for a year in the Mahabad Intelligence Detention Center detention center.

During this time, the two prisoners were denied access to a lawyer and contact with their families.

Diako Rasoulzadeh, Saber Sheikh Abdullah, was finally sentenced to death in the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Mahabad, presided over by Judge Ahmad Javadi Kia, on charges of “moharebeh through cooperation with an opposition party” on April 7^th, 2015. This sentence was later upheld by the Supreme Court.