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

Salar Mahmudzadeh

About

Age: 26
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Islam (Shi'a)
Civil Status: Married

Case

Date of Killing: June 10, 2015
Location of Killing: Qezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, Alborz Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Drug possession; Drug related offense
Age at time of alleged offense: 25

About this Case

Lost his father when he was still a child and was forced to drop out of school and start working at the age of 10

News of the execution of Mr. Salar Mahmudzadeh, son of Salim, was submitted to the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center through electronic form on March 31, 2019, by one of his acquaintances.  Furthermore, news of this and 10 other executions was published on the Human Rights Activists in Iran, HRANA’ website (June 11, 2015) and the Iran Human Rights Organization website (June 16, 2015). Additional information regarding this case was obtained from Iran Tribune website (May 28, 2015) and Iran Human Rights Organization (June 6, 2018). News of this execution has not been published and disseminated by the country’s official media.

Mr. Mahmudzadeh was born in a low income family on June 29, 1988, in Shahr-e Rey, a city to the south of Tehran. He was married and worked in the private sector. His father was executed on drug related charges when Mr. Mahmudzadeh was still a child. He was forced to drop out of school and start working at the age of 10. (Electronic form).

Mr. Mahmudzadeh’s case is related to drug related crimes committed in Shahr-e Rey in 2014-15.

Arrest and detention

One day in early 2014, Mr. Mahmudzadeh was arrested at 7 o’clock in the morning in Shahr-e Rey by the city’s Narcotics Administration agents. Mr. Mahmydzadeh spent some time in the Shahr-e Rey Narcotics Administration’s detention center, and was subsequently transferred to Qezelhessar Prison’s Hall One, Unit 2. He was allowed weekly visitations with his family during the more than one year he spent in detention.  (Electronic form).

On the morning of June 6, 2015, Mr. Mahmudzadeh and several of his ward mates were transferred to solitary confinement cells after a raid conducted by prison guards. (Electronic form).

Trial

Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court (Moallem Street branch) located on Shariati Avenue tried Mr. Mahmudzadeh. The first trial session convened in the summer of 2014, with his attorney in attendance. (Electronic form). The Appellate Court hearing was also conducted in 2014. There is, however, no information available regarding the details of this and other court sessions in the case.

Charges

The charge brought against Mr. Mahmudzadeh was “transportation of narcotic drugs”. (Electronic form).

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 the Islamic Republic authorities have brought trumped-up charges, including drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences, against their opponents (including political, civil society activists, as well as unionists and ethnic and religious minorities). 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 prescribed 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 evidence used against Mr. Mahmudzadeh was “1,800 grams of methamphetamines” and “the testimony of the Headquarters for the Fight against Narcotic Drugs agents”. (Electronic form).

Defense

There is no information regarding the defense presented by Mr. Mahmudzadeh and his attorney in the case. (Electronic form).

Judgment

Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Salar Mahmudzadeh to death. The appeal was denied and the lower court ruling was upheld.

According to the statements by one of Mr. Salar Mahmudzadeh’s acquaintances, beginning on June 10, 2015, he was taken to the gallows numerous times for an entire week before he was ultimately hanged on the seventh day at [the city of] Karaj’s Qezelhessar Prison, located in Alborz Province (Electronic form), whereas the media announced Mr. Mahmudzadeh and ten other individuals’ execution on June 10, 2015. (HRANA, Iran Human Right Organization).

During their last visitation, Mr. Mahmudzadeh’s family was under the impression that he was going to be transferred to another prison. (Electronic form).

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