Iran | Six Prisoners Executed at Rajai Shahr Prison on September 23

Iran Human Rights (IHR); September 26, 2020: IHR previously reported the execution of a female prisoner, Mahtab Shafiei in Rajai Shahr Prison, Karaj.

According to the newly obtained information, five male prisoners were also executed with Mahtab that day.

All five prisoners appear to have been sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

According to Iran Human Rights, on 23 September, one woman and five men were executed in Rajai Shahr Prison. All five appear to have been sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

Yesterday, IHR reported the execution of a female prisoner whose identity was established as 32 year old Mahtab Shafiei. She had been sentenced to death for the murder of her husband and his grandmother, and was transferred from Qarchak Prison in Varamin to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj on Tuesday to be executed.

Another executed prisoner has been identified as Hossein Shahani, previously held at Hall 2, Ward 1 of the prison but no information is yet available on the identities of the other four prisoners who were executed that day.

At the time of publication, the execution of the six prisoners has not been announced by domestic media or official sources in Iran.

According to Iran Human Rights’ annual report on the Death Penalty in Iran, at least 225 of the 280 of those executed in 2019 were charged with murder.

As there are no legal distinctions made between murder and manslaughter, whether voluntary or involuntary in Iran, those charged under the umbrella term of “premeditated murder” will receive the death penalty regardless of intent and the circumstances.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, September 26, 2020

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