More than 70 prisoners, including minors, executed in Mashhad in matter of days

There are reports that in the past few days, more than 70 prisoners in Mashhad Prison were suddenly executed.

According to reports from Mashhad, some of these people were arrested on drug related charges and were not sentenced to death and some of them were even sentenced to pay a fine. But suddenly a judicial order was issued for their execution.

It is still not clear why this order was issued but there are speculations that this has been carried out upon orders of security and intelligence institutions.

Before this in a similar case in this city in the beginning of the reign of the 9th government (Ahmadinejad government) when a top security agent was linked to drug trafficking gangs, more than 60 people who were related to this case were suddenly executed. A number of them were relatives of security forces.

According to reports, a number of the recently arrested prisoners were under 18 years old or arrested as minors. (Nedaye Sabze Azadi Website – Aug. 14, 2010)

Furthermore, according to information from a prisoner of conscience in the Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad, 64 people were executed on August 11 or 12, 2010 (in one day) in this prison. Most of them were charged with trafficking narcotics and similar crimes. Thirty others will be executed in the next two days. (Iran Press News – Aug. 15, 2010)