Simin Rouzgar

The rights of prisoners and their families are one of the most important topics in human rights. One of the prerequisites for enforcing these rights is the proper identification and understanding of prisoners accused of various crimes and awareness of their conditions. In addition, achieving such understanding plays a significant role in research in various fields of humanities, including sociology, psychology, and criminology. However, fulfilling this need is not an easy task due to the isolation and separation of prisoners from society in all communities. Achieving this goal in a country like Iran, due to the lack of a civil society, the absence of active non-governmental organizations and institutions in the field of prisoners’ rights, and limited independent research, has become even more difficult.

But the importance of recognizing this group, if we know how many people it includes, will be doubled; according to Ali Asghar Jahangir, the head of the country’s prison organization, currently more than 220,000 people are imprisoned in prisons. In announcing this figure in August of this year, he emphasized that this number is at least close to three times the standard capacity. Also, the highest number of prisoners in the country (more than 70%) is related to drug offenses, and a large number of these prisoners are also under the sentence of execution.

Following the special case of this issue of the magazine “Khat-e-Solh”, we have gone to the 7 prisoners sentenced to death for drug crimes. We have asked six common questions from each of these prisoners, who are imprisoned in “Qazal Hasar Karaj” and “Nedamatgah Karaj” prisons, and at first we have emphasized to them that assuming the accusations against you are true, answer these questions.

These conversations have been conducted in order to better understand the prisoners sentenced to death for drug-related crimes, in their own words, and the reasons and motivations behind their actions. Due to the very small population and numerous limitations in communicating with prisoners, it is not necessarily a comprehensive invitation for a scientific research and study.

The questions asked are as follows:

What amount and type of substances are you accused of carrying or possessing?

2- Do you have a lawyer? Have you had any previous arrests? How long was your court hearing for sentencing?

What made you go against this business?

4- How has your arrest affected your family, especially those who were financially dependent on you?

How is life under the sentence of execution?

Why do you think drug traffickers should not be executed?

Five of these prisoners have explicitly mentioned their “poverty” or their family’s poverty as one of the main reasons for committing this act; two others have cited “debt” and “temptation of easy money” as the main causes. Additionally, four of the condemned prisoners have a criminal record, while the remaining three have no prior criminal history. Interestingly, only one of the interviewees had a designated lawyer, while the others had court-appointed lawyers at best. Judges in different branches of the revolutionary courts have issued death sentences for them, ranging from a minimum of 5 minutes to a maximum of 30 minutes. Possession or trafficking of “crystal meth” is the charge for five of these condemned individuals. More details of their responses are provided separately.

Prisoner number one on death row.

Titled “Accused of Possession or Carrying Half a Kilogram of Glass,” he says he had a defense lawyer who had not seen him until the day of the court and during the court session that lasted more than a quarter, he was sentenced to death. In his case, he has a history of another arrest for addiction.

He cites poverty and deprivation as the reason for committing his actions, in order to provide for his own and his family’s living expenses: “After my father’s death, I had to support my family. How could I afford to take care of several younger siblings and my mother without any support? I had no money, no proper education, and no connections to get a job or a loan… There was nothing else but turning to drugs to solve our problems.”

He emphasizes that his family feels defeated by this incident, but they understand that he had no other choice and did it for their sake.

This prisoner, who according to his own words has washed his hands of life and has even told his family not to visit him since the judge issued the death sentence, saying it’s better for them to accept his death gradually, in response to the final question, says: “Why should we be executed? Firstly, I never forced anyone to use drugs, and secondly, if there was something I could have done to provide for my family and send my siblings to university, would I risk my life? I was forced to do it; either my mother would have to become a prostitute or I would end up in this line of work. I did something very honorable. But if people like me were not forced or compelled to enter this line of work, we wouldn’t be facing execution.”

Prisoner number two on death row.

He says he did not have a good lawyer and has been arrested several times in the past for his addiction. He has been sentenced to death in a joint court with several others, each given a maximum of 5 minutes, on charges of possession and distribution of half a kilogram of crack.

He refers to the reason for entering this illegal trade as “addiction, poverty, and misery” and says that he was not the “owner of the cargo”: “I was forced to accept someone else’s cargo that I had to pay for; I got caught and it fell on my neck.”

His situation is slightly different from others because he says he has no information from his family: “Before I went to prison, because of my addiction and street vending in the park, they lost hope in me and our relationship was cut off.”

He not only says he has nothing to lose, but for the past two or three years, he stays awake until morning and sleeps during the day; so that one day he won’t be caught off guard and taken to the gallows: “I know death is coming for me, I want to be prepared for it.”

The prisoner mentioned in relation to why drug offenders should not be executed, simply states: “Because we are the victims.”

Prisoner number three on death row.

Compared to the other two previous interviewees, he has a more serious accusation and has been sentenced to death for possessing 10 kilograms of glass and 2,000 tablets. He, who has a criminal record, claims to have had a lawyer and his trial lasted about half an hour.

This prisoner, in response to the third question about the peace line and how he got involved in this illegal trade, says: “We are from the lower region. Where everyone’s source of income is this. My father was also executed for drugs, and I took his place. It was a path that had been predetermined for me…”

He mentions that currently his brother also provides for the living expenses of other family members through this same path, and believes that his arrest and conviction did not have much effect on the family; because the issue is not strange to them due to the execution of their father. He says, “I am not afraid of dying, but waiting for it is torture. Every night I wish they would come and take me away so I can be at peace.”

The response of the aforementioned prisoner to the last question is as follows: “For the fact that millions of the population of Iranian society are disappearing, from students and scholars to housewives, all have become involved with drugs. They have killed so many, what happened? They killed my father, what happened? Maybe if my father was alive, at least he wouldn’t let us be in this situation. Think about my last sentence; this may be the best reason why they shouldn’t kill.”

Prisoner number four on death row.

He has no criminal record and the revolutionary court judge, in a session that lasted less than fifteen minutes, has sentenced him to death on charges of possession or carrying one kilogram of heroin. He says, “I didn’t have a lawyer, and later when I protested this issue, they said there was someone in the court that you didn’t notice and he was your court-appointed lawyer; I still haven’t seen him.”

He explains the reason for his involvement in this illegal business as follows: “My father was a caretaker at a non-profit school and I was also studying at that school. In that school, we were part of the quota of the Relief Committee, which had actually imposed us on the school among all those wealthy children. Now you calculate, how could I study in the midst of all those wealthy children without having any money? I always envied having a bicycle… That’s why I gave up studying; no job, no future. When my father died, the situation got worse. My mother and the rest of the family returned to the town, but I didn’t go with them; I spent my whole life in Tehran and felt lonely in the town. Those who left, I started working with some of those wealthy children who were the owners of trucks. Every month I sent money to my family. There was no other way.”

The fiancé of this prisoner has left her, and her mother has also become depressed after her child’s death sentence. The family’s situation, which was economically dependent on her, is not favorable.

The mentioned prisoner refers to the conditions of living under a death sentence as a type of war and escape with oneself, and still cannot believe that being in prison and under a sentence is real, and calls it a nightmare. They say, “I have put myself on that path until its day comes.”

Furthermore, his response to the last question was as follows: “It’s not imaginary, execute them! But before us, execute those who have taken our rights. Now even on their own television, they announce every day that one of the managers has embezzled millions of dollars; but they do nothing about it. Well, was I more destructive to this society or he who has consumed billions and pushed thousands of people like me into poverty and caused this? We have become miserable and hopeless, and our start was from inequality, but at least let our death be such that we think everyone is equal in this matter.”

Prisoner number five on death row.

He also has no criminal record. He was charged with carrying or possessing two kilograms of glass, without the presence of a lawyer, and in a court that lasted 15 minutes, the criminal was recognized by the judge and sentenced to death.

He explains his reason for entering the illegal trade a little differently than previous interviewees, titled “Return Check and the Desire for a Foreign Car,” and says that his family has been completely destroyed after his arrest and death sentence.

He adds, emphasizing that he is deprived of sleep and food: “When you are under the sentence of execution, you have no hope in anything. It’s like you’re living between earth and sky. Of course, it’s not really living… you’re between earth and sky.”

According to this prisoner under the sentence of execution, the reason for all those who enter into these actions is “misfortune and illiteracy”: “Consider a 20-year-old youth; what does he understand about life and the world that he would understand the opposite? The country is such that young people are playing with their lives.”

Prisoner number six on death row.

He is accused of involvement in the transportation and possession of one kilogram of crystal meth. He has a previous criminal record for transporting 5 grams of crystal meth and being addicted. In a trial that lasted less than 10 minutes, with the presence of a court-appointed lawyer, he has been sentenced to death.

He refers to poverty and destitution as the reason for his involvement in this illegal trade and emphasizes that his arrest and conviction have caused his family to become “paralyzed.”

The aforementioned prisoner, in response to the question of what life is like under a death sentence, says: “From the day they issue your death sentence, you are already dead. What difference does it make when it is carried out? It’s just called life.”

He believes that executing suspects for drug crimes is “unjust”: “Is it fair that when someone makes a mistake in their youth due to poverty and lack, they are executed? Why should they take the lives of us young people?”

Prisoner

Execution

Number seven

He has no criminal record and has been sentenced to death in a 30-minute court session. His charge is possession of 32 kilograms of glass. Unlike six other prisoners who have been questioned, he had a court-appointed lawyer who says, “He took a lot of money from us but did nothing.”

The reason for his deviation towards this illicit trade, compared to other prisoners, is different: “the temptation of large sums of money.”

This condemned prisoner says that his parents have aged as a result of this incident. His wife has also divorced him after his arrest and conviction.

He describes life under the sentence of execution as follows: “It is very terrifying, to the point that when they call out your name on the loudspeaker, you don’t have the courage to go and see what they are going to do to you. Many times, they have summoned us under the pretense of health check-ups, Quran classes, sports clubs, or visits, but in reality, it was to carry out their sentence of execution.”

According to his belief, which he emphasizes, drug offenders are “young” because every person should have the opportunity to make up for their mistakes, therefore, one should not take someone’s life and execute them for one mistake.