Iran | Executions in Naghdeh, Isfahan, Urmia

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); July 17, 2023: State media have reported the execution of Sangar Khezri for drug-related charges in Naghdeh Prison.

According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was executed in Naghdeh Prison in West Azerbaijan province on 17 July. His identity has been reported as Sangar Khezri who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years. At least 206 people were executed for drug-related charges in the first six months of 2023, a 126% rise compared to the same period in 2022 when 91 were executed. 40 people were executed in the same period in 2021.

The number of drug executions dramatically dropped in 2018 following a 2017 Amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Laws. Consequently, drug executions ranged between 24-30 per annum between 2018-2020. The Amendment was reversed in practice in 2021 when executions increased ten-fold to 126 in 2021 and doubled again in 2022 with 256 drug-related executions.

Man Executed in Isfahan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); July 17, 2023: Jahedollah Marouf, an Afghan national sentenced to death for murder and drug-related charges, has been executed in Isfahan Central Prison.

According to Iran Human Rights, an Afghan man was executed in Isfahan Central Prison on 15 July. His identity has been established as Jahedollah Marouf who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges and to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

It is not clear whether he was executed for the murder or drug charges.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Jahedollah Marouf was transferred for execution from the foreign ward. Around 250-300 prisoners are held in the foreign ward, the majority of whom are Afghan and Pakistani. The majority of them are on death row and most of them are for drug charges.”

“There are two men in the ward named Jalal Amanedin and Shafi Amanedin who are from Jalal Abad in Afghanistan. They’re uncle and nephew and were arrested nearly two years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges. Jalal, the nephew was sentenced to death despite being 17 years old at the time of arrest,” the source added.

It is important to note that Afghan nationals constitute the largest group of non-Iranian executions and death row cases in Iranian prisons. In 2021, no execution of Afghan nationals was recorded until September, when five men were executed in the space of 35 days. On 10 October 2021, Iran Human Rights expressed its concern that the Taliban takeover in August had facilitated the execution of Afghan nationals. That number more than tripled in 2022, with 16 Afghan nationals including a juvenile offender and a woman executed. At least nine Afghans have been executed in 2023 so far, with two publicly hanged on 8 July.

Man Executed in Urmia

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); July 16, 2023: A man named Hossein Dolkhani was executed for murder charges in Urmia Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Urmia Central Prison (Darya) on 13 July. His identity has been established as Hossein Dolkhani from Showt who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for an honour killing.

Informed sources told Iran Human Rights: “Hossein Dolkhani was sentenced to qisas for the honour killing of his sister. His family were the claimants in the case.”

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Those charged with the umbrella term of “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) regardless of intent or circumstances due to a lack of grading in law. Once a defendant has been convicted, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, July 16-17, 2023

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

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