Inmates in the women’s ward of Urmia Prison revolted on Thursday, July 8, 2021, to protest the transfer of a woman to a high-security ward.
Arezoo Rouhinejad had been transferred six days earlier to a high-security ward after the women in this ward celebrated withdrawal of the death sentence of another one of their fellow inmates.
According to sources inside the Central Prison of Urmia, the protesting women broke the doors and shattered the windows. Following the protest, security forces raided the women’s ward of Urmia Prison and beat several women prisoners protesting the transfer of Arezoo Rouhinejad.
After the angry protests of prisoners in the women’s ward of Urmia Prison, Arezoo Rouhinejad was returned to the ward after six days.
In this way, the protesting prisoners achieved their demand.
Twelve women on death row in Urmia Prison
A Kurdish human rights organization has reported the names of twelve women detained on death row in the women’s ward of the Central Prison of Urmia. All 12 women are convicted of deliberate murder. Their names are:
Mohabbat Mahmoudi, from Urmia; Zahra Farhadi, from Urmia; Parisa Moradi, from Bukan; Nishteman Mohammadi, from Sardasht; Golzar Ahmadian, from Sardasht; Faranak Beheshti, from Takab; Soheila Nematzadeh, from Miandoab; Mojgan Abdollahi, from Mahabad; Zeinab Khaled, from Sardasht; Mojgan Azarpisheh, from Urmia; Tahmineh Danesh, from Khoy; Ziba, from Bukan.
The Iranian Judiciary does not categorize murder charges. It categorically hands down the death penalty for murder convicts regardless of their motivation. Nevertheless, many women executed or sentenced to death on the charge of murder were victims of domestic violence and acted in self-defense.
At least 118 women have been executed during Hassan Rouhani’s tenure as the mullahs’ president.
