Iran Executes Three Brothers

Photo Credit: Al Arabiya News

The Iranian government executed brothers Abdul Rahman, Taha, and Jamshid Heidari Monday on charges of “enmity against God” for allegedly killing a police officer, an allegation international rights groups call false. The three were arrested last year in Khuzestan province along with cousins Mansour Heidari and Amir Muawi who may also be facing execution soon. Reports also suggest activist Ali Naami, who was also detained with them, has been executed.

Also, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reports that activist Nargess Mohammadi is in urgent need of medical attention in prison. Mohammadi was arrested in 2010 for her work in human rights and suffers from attacks of muscular paralysis. Meanwhile, jailed journalist Issa Saharkhiz was sentenced to an additional year and a half in prison just as he had almost finished serving his three year sentence. Saharkhiz has been in a hospital since suffering a heart attack in prison four months ago, but his family is required to pay for his care and for four guards to stand by his room at a cost of over five times the family’s monthly income.

Additionally, the Free Iranian Workers Syndicate organized a petition signed by 10,000 Iranian workers from a variety of factories objecting to the government’s subsidy restructuring plan and calling for a raise in the minimum wage.