Two prisoners of conscience, convicted with “insulting the prophet” executed

Hengaw: Monday, May 8, 2023

Two prisoners of conscience, named Sadrollah Fazeli Zare from Yasuj and Yousef Mehrad from Ardabil, previously sentenced to death by the Iranian Judiciary on charges of "Sab-Al-Nabi” (insulting the Prophet) have been executed.
 

According to the report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the death sentences for Sadrollah Fazeli Zareh and Yousef Mehrad were carried out in the early hours of Monday, May 8, 2023, at Arak Central Prison. The media affiliated with the Iranian Judiciary have confirmed the death execution of both prisoners.

Hengaw had previously reported the relocation of both prisoners to solitary cells in Arak Prison in preparation for the execution of their sentences last Thursday.

Sadrollah Fazeli Zare, a citizen of Yasuj, and Yousef Mehrad, a married  and father of three children from Ardabil, were arrested in 2020, by Iranian security agencies on charges of "running multiple Telegram channels, insulting sanctities, and burning the Quran." Subsequently, these prisoners were sentenced to death by the office of the public prosecutor and the Iranian Islamic revolutionary court in Arak on charges of "Sab-Al-Nabi” (insulting the Prophet).

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights condemns the executions and urges all human rights organizations to pay close attention to the recent surge in executions in Iran.