Iran: Two Women Hanged at Urmia Prison

UPDATE: JULY 24, 2019: Iranian media, including ISNA, confirmed the executions. 

According to IHR sources, on the morning of Tuesday, July 23, two women were hanged for murder charges at Urmia prison (also called as Darya prison). IHR could identify them as Arasteh Ranjbar and Nazdar Vatankhah. They were held in prison for 15 years before the execution carried out.

“Arasteh Ranjbar was sentenced to death for killing her husband. Her own children were the plaintiffs. Nazdar Vatankhah who was the victim’s sister, sentenced to death as the conspirator in the same case,” sources told IHR.

At least 110 people were executed in Iran in the first half of 2019; Only 37 of the executions have been announced by authorities or Iranian media. Iran Human Rights (IHR) could confirm 73 more through its sources. IHR only reports the unannounced executions if it could confirm those with two separate credible sources. Therefore, the actual number of executions may be even higher than reported.