14/04/2020
To:
Mr. Masrour Barzai
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government
Mr. Rebar Ahmed Khalid
RE: The execution of Iranian political prisoner Mr Mostafa Salimi
We are writing to denounce the extradition of Mr Mostafa Salimi, an Iranian political prisoner, by Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), to the Islamic regime’s authorities, knowing very well he will be executed. Mr Salimi was hanged by the Islamic regime in Iran on 11th April 2020 shortly after being arrested and handed over to the Islamic regime in Iran by the KRG. The KRG’s act is against any human rights and UN conventions and they will be held accountable for this heinous act of crime against humanity.
Furthermore, by extraditing Mr Salimi, a political prisoner, the KRG has knowingly acted against non-refoulement Obligations, a part of the customary international law which indicates that “no one should be returned to a country where they would face torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and other irreparable harm.” The KRG was well aware that Mr Salimi was in danger of being tortured and executed when collaborated with the Islamic regime in Iran, and consequently is responsible for his execution and will be held accountable.
This is the reason Mr Salimi, an Iranian political prisoner, was in Iraq: following the outbreak of Coronavirus in prisons across Iran, thousands of prisoners were kept in the most horrendous condition at risk of contracting the virus. Tens of prisoners have lost their lives due to Coronavirus. Prisoners, and their families alike, have repeatedly raised concerns about the prisoners’ health, continually been demanding to be protected against the virus and demanded a temporary release in order to protect their lives from the risk of contracting Coronavirus. The Islamic regime has denied these prisoners their basic human rights by continuously refusing to protect their lives, health, and welfare. Hundreds of prisoners have contracted Coronavirus while being left in the most appalling unhygienic condition with no medical attention at all. Prisoners have recently protested against the horrendous conditions in different prisons across Iran and demanded their right to live and to be protected from the outbreak of Coronavirus. During these protests, the security forces attacked the prisoners and killed more than 50 of them. In order to save their lives, some prisoners had no choice other than to escape from their prisons. Mostafa Salimi was one of these prisoners, who escaped, along with tens of other prisoners. Salimi fled to Iraqi Kurdistan on the 27th of March and pleaded with KRG authorities that he will be executed by the Islamic regime if he is deported back to Iran. Despite his plea and despite KRG being well aware that he will be executed, they ignored Mr Salimi’s plea, violated his refugee and human rights, and handed him over to the Islamic regime.
Salimi’s family was called to visit him one day before his execution. Salimi told his family that he was arrested by the KRG’s security forces (Asayesh) on the border between Iraq and Iran ( Sayranband and Baneh) and he was handed over to the Islamic regime’s security forces in Iran. He was hanged on 11th April 2020 in a prison in the city of Saqqez in Iran.
Mostafa Salimi, 53, was a political activist who was arrested in 2003 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison and execution on the charge of “waging war against God” (Moharebeh). He spent 17 years in prison.
The Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government is responsible for the death of Mostafa Salimi and will be held accountable for his death.
Shiva Mahbobi, spokesperson for the Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI)
+447572356661
shiva.mahbobi@gmail.com
Hasan Salehi, spokesperson for the International Committee against Execution (ICAE)
+46703171102
hasan.salehi2000@gmail.com
Samir Noory, Chairperson of Organization for abolition death penalty in Iraq
+14166168638