In a grim and alarming update, 250 inmates on death row at Lakan Prison in Rasht are reportedly facing imminent execution. This urgent situation follows an order from Mehdi Falah Miri, the Prosecutor of Gilan Province, as part of a broader acceleration of capital punishment in the region.
Sources indicate that this directive was issued in response to a prison uprising that occurred on October 8, 2021, in Rasht Central Prison. The incident, which exposed further instances of human rights violations by the Velayat-e Faqih regime, prompted Mohseni Ejei, the head of Iran’s Judiciary, to instruct Prosecutor Falah Miri to hasten the execution process.
Under these instructions, prison officials and social workers have reportedly bypassed traditional protocols, using Article 429 to push forward with executions without the usual requirement of prisoners’ consent. Within a span of less than ten days, invitations were sent out to the plaintiffs by both the Director-General of Gilan Prisons Organization, Mohammadi, and Prosecutor Falah Miri.
Moreover, families of the plaintiffs, who were initially reluctant to proceed with the executions, have allegedly been coerced and threatened. Reports suggest that they were warned of potential arrest and prosecution for complicity in murder if they did not agree to the implementation of the death sentences.
This development highlights a disturbing trend of using capital punishment as a tool for societal suppression and intimidation by the Iranian regime, particularly during a time when global attention is diverted due to regional conflicts. The plight of these 250 death row inmates serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing human rights crisis in Iran, where executions are often employed as a means of political and social control.