Human rights monitor finds Iran executed at least 12 Kurdish prisoners in June

According to KHRN, eight of the prisoners were executed for “premeditated murder” and three for drug-related charges. A political prisoner named Firouz Musalou was executed due to his ties with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK). He was charged with “armed insurrection” according to the report. The human rights monitor also emphasized that the number of executions was likely to be higher. According to the Norway-based monitor Iran Human Rights, Tehran executed more than 250 people in 2022 alone.

The KHRN claimed more than 60 people were detained by Iranian forces, including 39 teachers’ union activists. At least five of them received prison sentences. The report suggested that most of them were detained in connection with demonstrations.

The report mentioned that Iranian border guards killed at least one trader and injured another from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. They also wounded at least 13 kolbars. Kolbars are workers who transport goods on their backs, either legally or illegally, across the borders of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. They are frequently targeted by law enforcement officials.