YAQUB MEHRNEHAD (MIRNAHAD) AND ABDOLNASER TAHERI WERE EXECUTED THIS MORNING

Iran Human Rights, August 4: The civil society activist and journalist, Yaqub Mehrnehad was hanged in the prison of Zahedan (in the Sistan-Baluchestan province) early this morning, reported the state run news agency ISNA. According to the report Yaqub M., son of Alam khan, was convicted of "Moharebeh" for being member of Jondollah (an armed group fighting against the Iranian authorities in Baluchestan) and sentenced to death. He was hanged in Zahedan prison along with another person identified as Abdolnaser T son of Sohrab, who also was convicted of the same charges. Iranian authorities use often similar charges against civil and human rights activists. The death sentence of Yaqub Mehrnehad, which was issued in February 2008, was met with a wave of condemnation and protest from the international organizations. BACKGROUND: Yaghoob Mehrnehad sentenced to death by a court in the Southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province in the month of "Dey" (10th month of the year according to the Persian calender; 21-December 2007 to 20 January 2008) . His family who were not present under the trial, were informed about the sentence by the authoritis on February 7. The death sentence was later confirmed officially by the judiciary. Yaqub Mehrnehad has been the general secretary of the "youth, Voice of justice" association, journalist and head of the daily newspaper Mardomsalary in the Baluchestan province. This association holds an annual symposium, which discusses the problems people face in the society and confronts the authorities with those questions. Yaghoob Mehrnehad and 5 other members of the society were arrested after the last annual meeting of the Society in April 2007. The other 5 were later released but Yaghoob Mehrnehad is still in the prison. According to a member of his family who had visited him two months ago, there were signs of torture on his head, face and body and he had lost much weight.