Five prisoners of conscience have been transferred from Karoon Prison in Ahvaz to an unspecified location, and activists fear they may be in imminent danger of execution.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported that Abdolrahman Heydari, Teh Heydari, Jamshid Heydari, Mansour Heydari and Amir Moavi were moved from prison on Saturday, and reports indicate that prison authorities had announced that they were being taken away for the execution of their death sentences.
The five prisoners, all residents of Molashieh in Ahvaz, were arrested last March during street protests and were held incommunicado for months. The security forces claim that the detainees were charged with the murder of a police officer.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran says that families of the detainees reject the accusations and claim their kin have been forced to make false confessions under torture.
Ahvaz saw widespread demonstrations by Ahvazi citizens last March as they protested against the “unfavourable and discriminatory situation” in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, especially for the Arab community.
