The semi-official Iranian news agency "Mehr" reported today that inmates in a facility in southwestern Iran set fires in protest against a death sentence issued for one of their fellow prisoners, with gunfire heard in the background. The agency explained that "following the issuance of a death sentence for one inmate at Ramhormoz Prison, several prisoners began rioting by starting fires... Gunfire could be heard from outside the prison." The agency quoted the government prison administration stating that "the situation in the prison was briefly disrupted after several inmates sparked clashes, but calm returned immediately following the presence of prison officials, and conditions were restored to normal."
Iran, which ranks second in the world after China for the highest number of executions, has often faced criticism from human rights groups. Amnesty International reported that "Iranian authorities executed at least 173 people this year convicted of drug-related offenses after systematically unfair trials, nearly three times the number compared to the same time last year." Iran states that the high number of executions is due to large-scale drug trafficking through the country from neighboring Afghanistan, the world's main opium producer. Tehran also rejects criticism aimed at its legal system, claiming that Western human rights groups do not understand its Islamic laws.
