Iran | Executions in Kerman, Gonbad Kavous, Tabriz, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Ghezel Hesar, Bandar Abbas, Salmas
According to Haal Vsh, two men including a Baluch minority were executed in Kerman Central Prison on 15 November. The unidentified men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
Zarkhatoun Mazarzehi, a Baluch woman also on death row for drug charges, was previously reported to have been executed at the prison that day.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Ethnic minorities, the Baluch in particular, are grossly overrepresented in execution numbers in Iran. In 2022, at least 174 Baluch minorities including 3 women, were executed in 22 prisons across Iran, making up 30% of overall executions. This is while they represent just 2-6% of Iran’s population. Furthermore, at least 274 Baluch people have been executed for drug-related charges since 2021, 40% of all drug executions in that time period. Khatoun is the fifth Baluch woman executed in 2023.
Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years. At least 305 people were executed for drug-related charges between 1 January-10 October 2023, a 69% increase compared to the same period in 2022, and the number of drug-related executions in 2023 were close to 20 times higher than 2020.
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. On 13 September 2023, IHRNGO reported a 94% rise in the number of drug-related executions in the year following the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in September 2022.
Execution in Gonbad Kavous
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 16, 2023: Mehdi Bakhshandeh, a man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed in Gonbad Kavous Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a Turkmen man was executed in Gonbad Kavous Prison, Golestan province, on 15 November. His identity has been established as Mehdi Bakhshandeh from Karand who was sentenced to qisas for murder.
Mehdi was accused of stabbing a Karand border commander on 25 December 2020. An informed source told IHRNGO: “The border commander started harassing men and women at a café and beat up one of them. Mehdi Bakhshandeh had committed the murder in retaliation a few days later.”
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, as the plaintiffs, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.
Execution in Tabriz
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 16, 2023: Ali Shirzadeh, a man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed in Tabriz Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed Tabriz Central Prison on 15 November. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Ali Shirzadeh from Jolfa who was sentenced to qisas for murder.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ali Shirzadeh was married with a child. He was arrested around three years ago.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Execution in Hamedan
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 16, 2023: A drug death row prisoner named Seyed Reza Hosseini has been executed in Hamedan Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 13 November. His identity has been established as 45-year-old Seyed Reza Hosseini from Hamedan.
He was arrested for around five years ago sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Man executed in Kermanshah
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 16, 2023: Shahbaz Latifi Sarini, a man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison on 13 November. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Shahbaz Latifi Sarini who was sentenced to qisas for murder.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “Shahbaz Latifi was accused of killing his wife and a police officer with an AK47 two years ago. He was a father of a young child.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Group executions in Ghezel Hesar
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November, 16, 2023: Newly obtained information reveals that the executions of six other men were carried out in Ghezel Hesar Prison yesterday along with the previously reported three.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, six men were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, on 15 November. Three of the men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges and three to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. One of the men’s identities has been established as Mehdi Mosavar who was on death row for murder. He was transferred for execution from Unit 3 of the prison.
IHRNGO previously reported the execution of three other men including Bagher Mohammadi Geravand and Nazir Mohammad, an Afghan national, who were all on death row for drug-related charges at the prison that day.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “13 people were transferred to solitary confinement on Tuesday (14 November). Four of the murder death row prisoners were returned to their cells after obtaining extensions in their cases and the nine others were executed.”
On 1st November, IHRNGO reported a group execution of nine men at Ghezel Hesar Prison. A week later, another group execution of eight men took place at the prison. This is the third group execution at the prison in November.
In the first 10 months of 2023, IHRNGO recorded more than 600 executions, an unprecedented number in the last eight years. The majority of the executions were for drug-related charges which are also at their highest since 2015. On World Day Against the Death Penalty (10 October 2023), IHRNGO called on UN Member States to withdraw funding of UNODC projects on drug-trafficking in Iran, and to make all collaborations and funding contingent upon an immediate halt to all drug-related executions.
Woman executed in Kerman
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) November 15, 2023: A Baluch woman named Zarkhatoun Mazarzehi was executed for drug-related charges in Kerman Central Prison.
According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch woman was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 15 November. Her identity has been reported as Zarkhatoun Mazarzehi, a 46-year-old widow and mother of a daughter. She was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by Branch One of the Kerman Revolutionary Court. She was notified of the sentence on 15 March 2022 in prison.
Relatives previously told Iran Human Rights: “She didn’t have access to a defence lawyer at the time of arrest. Zarkhatoon Mazarzehi has made no confessions. She didn’t know anything about the drugs they found. She had agreed to carry raw materials for cosmetics which she believed to have issues at customs, and has said at every opportunity that she wasn’t carrying drugs. Ms Mazarzehi was the breadwinner, her husband died of tuberculosis."
At the time of writing, her execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Execution in Salmas
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 15, 2023: Arman Babazadeh Ayan, a man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed in Salmas Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Salmas Prison on 14 November. His identity has been established Arman Babazadeh Ayan who was sentenced to qisas for murder.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Execution in Bandar Abbas
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 14, 2023: State media have reported the execution of an unidentified man who had spent 17 years on death row for murder in Bandar Abbas Central Prison.
According to Hamshahri Online, a man was executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison. The unidentified man was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court. The date of his execution has not been specified.
He was accused of killing his friend 17 years ago but he had always denied the allegations. His death sentence had been overturned by the Supreme Court several times, per the report.
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