Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

for Human Rights in Iran

https://www.iranrights.org
Omid, a memorial in defense of human rights in Iran
One Person’s Story

Asgar Abdi

About

Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown

Case

Date of Killing: April 13, 2015
Location of Killing: Qezelhesar Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Drug related offense

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Asgar Abdi, along with 26 others, was sent by an informed source to the Boroumand Foundation on April 16, 2015. According to this source, close to 171 individuals had been executed in relation to narcotics in Iran’s prisons between April 12 and 14, 2015. All of these individuals were involved in dealing narcotics and most had a drug lab (kitchen*) in their homes.

Arrest and detention

Mr. Abdi was imprisoned at Unit 2 in the Qezelhesar Prison. The circumstances of his arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

No information is available on Mr. Abdi’s trial.

Charges

According to the Boroumand Foundation, quoting an informed source, the charges brought against Mr. Abdi were “related to dealing and producing narcotics.”   

The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial. International human rights organizations have drawn attention to reports indicating that Islamic Republic authorities have brought trumped-up charges against their political opponents and executed them for alleged drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences. Thousands of alleged drug traffickers have been sentenced to death following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. Scores of them were executed based on a 1989 law imposing mandatory death sentences on drug traffickers found in possession of specified amounts of proscribed narcotics (5 kg of hashish or opium, and more than 30 grams of heroin, codeine or methadone). The exact number of people convicted based on trumped-up charges is unknown.

Evidence of guilt

The report of this execution did not provide any specific information on the evidence presented against Mr. Abdi.

Defense

No information is available on Mr. Abdi’s defense.

Judgment

Mr. Asgar Abdi was hanged, along with 14 others, at the Qezelhesar Prison in Karaj on April 13, 2015.

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*Kitchen is referred to small, home based labs in which industrial drugs are made. They are mainly used for purifying drugs and making several industrial drugs such as crystal.

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