Shayan Saeedpour was executed in Saqqez Prison.

Despite the Coronavirus outbreak that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Iranians, the mullahs’ regime in Iran continues to carry out executions. The latest reports from the MEK Iran indicate that on Tuesday 21^st April, Shayan Saeedpour was executed in Saqqez Prison in the western part of the country.

This young man was handed the death sentence before he reached the age of 18. Saeedpour was charged with killing someone during a street fight at the age of just 17. The mother of the person that was killed had agreed to pardon Saeedpour, meaning that he should – as per the regime’s laws – have not been executed for his crime.

However, once again we see that the laws mean nothing in Iran – not even to judicial officials. The pardon was opposed by the public prosecutor and Saeedpour’s death sentence was maintained.

The hanging was supposed to take place in the Central Prison of Sanandaj but it was changed at the last minute to Saqqez Prison to warn other inmates.

Saeedpour was put into solitary confinement the day before his execution. There have been riots in Iran over the past few weeks because of the terrible conditions that inmates are held in, especially now that the Coronavirus outbreak has made them more vulnerable than ever.

Inmates have been calling for the authorities to grant them furlough for the duration of the health crisis, and they have also been calling for basic hygiene supplies such as hand sanitizer and disinfectant. When it became clear that not only were their concerns being denied, but also ignored, riots broke out in several prisons across the country.

During the riots, dozens of inmates were able to escape. Saeedpour was one of them – escaping at the end of March. Before his execution, human rights organizations drew attention to Saeedpour’s case and called for the international community to take urgent action.

The Iranian regime’s execution of individuals that were minors at the time of their alleged crime take place with great frequency despite international norms and regulations. The regime’s laws forbid the execution of minors but it nevertheless still happens. Iran is even a signatory to the United Nations Children’s Rights Charter showing that such measures to protect children in Iran are meaningless.

The situation of prisoners in Iran has been focused on by international human rights organizations including Amnesty International for years, but the situation remains critical. Political prisoners, in particular, are unfairly treated by prison authorities and they are even denied basic medical care. Prisoners are often tortured into falsely confessing to a crime and they are denied due process during their entire incarceration.

In the past few months, there have been numerous Coronavirus-related deaths in prisons and family members are extremely worried about their loved ones. International intervention is required urgently to ensure the safety of the prisoners.

MEK Iran reported that prisoners with COVID-19 are not separated from the rest of the prison population putting many at risk, especially those that are already weak or ill.