Avoiding to return the bodies of four political prisoners executed in Urmia to their families is considered a form of enforced disappearance

Hengaw: Friday, January 5, 2024 

A week after the execution of three Kurdish political prisoners named Wafa Hanareh, Aram Omari Bardiani, and Rahman Parhazo, along with Turkish political prisoner Nasim Namazi, in Urmia Central Prison, the Iranian security institutions refused to hand over their bodies to their families. They have also warned these families not to follow up and publicize information in this regard.

The death sentence of these three Kurdish political prisoners from Urmia who were sentenced to death last year by the third branch of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Urmia, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, on charges of "participating in intelligence cooperation and espionage for the benefit of Israel," was handed down at 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 28, 2023, and the death sentence of Nasim Namazi, a Turkish political prisoner from Urmia, was executed at 5 a.m. on Friday, December 29 in Urmia Central Prison.

Avoiding the delivery of the bodies and preventing the mourning ceremony after the execution of four political prisoners in Urmia:

After the execution of Wafa Hanareh, Aram Omari Bardiani, and Rahman Parhazou in the central prison of Urmia, the Iranian authorities refused to hand over their bodies to their families and did not allow any mourning or memorial ceremony to be held for them either in the mosque or at home. Hengaw has been informed that during the last few days, the intelligence of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) put pressure on the families of these four political prisoners and announced to them that they can show videos from the burial of executed ones to the families only if approved by the authorities.

They have also warned these families about publicizing information in this regard. In response to the not-delivery of the bodies of Wafa Hanareh, Aram Omari Bardiani, and Rahman Parhazo to their families after their execution in the central prison of Urmia, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights strongly condemns this action of the Iranian government and considers it a form of enforced disappearance.

Hengaw, which is committed to following up on the human rights situation in Iran, considers this behavior a clear violation of fundamental rights and human dignity and demands an immediate response from the responsible authorities and an international investigation into this matter. "Enforced disappearance" under international law: Enforced or forced disappearance is one of the crimes against humanity in which a person is arrested and hidden by the government or political organizations without information about their fate or whereabouts being provided to their family or society.

This act is usually done in order to create fear and terror or as a method to suppress and punish political opponents

. Enforced disappearance is a serious violation of human rights and causes great suffering and uncertainty for the families and friends of the victims. In the field of international law, enforced disappearance is considered an important crime against human rights that is systematically applied against citizens.

This act is one of the examples of "crime against humanity." The "International Convention against Enforced Disappearance" approved in 2010 is one of the key records in this field. This convention places special emphasis on the right of individuals to know the status of their missing loved ones and to obtain justice and compensation.

According to the standards of international law, not only the disappeared person but also their families are considered victims of this crime due to sudden separation, lack of access to information, fear of retaliation, and unknown status. So far, 110 countries have joined this convention, which plays an important role in preventing the occurrence of these crimes. However, the Islamic Republic of Iran still refuses to ratify and join this convention, which shows the indifference of the country's security and judicial system to respect the rights of the defendants and prisoners.

It is worth mentioning that the families and survivors of the disappeared can pursue legal action by filing a complaint with the "UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances." After receiving the complaint, the working group contacts the Iranian authorities to obtain information about the fate and burial place of the victims.