Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 9, 2023: State media have reported the execution of a man only identified as Akbar for murder in Tabriz Central Prison.
According to Rokna, a man was executed in Tabriz Central Prison in the last week. The man only named as Akbar was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.
He had allegedly killed someone during a group fight on 7 August 2019.
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.
Two Executed in Kashan; 45 Others at Risk
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 9, 2023: Khodadad Rahimi and Saber Alikhani were executed for drug-related charges in Kashan Prison. 45 others are currently at risk of execution at the prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Kashan Prison on 8 November. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Khodadad Rahimi and 31-year-old Saber Alikhani who were both sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court. Khodadad had been on death row for around three years and Saber for around two years.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “There are currently 45 death row prisoners in Kashan Prison whose sentences have been upheld by the Supreme Court. Most of them were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. A prison official recently told three of the prisoners to talk to the plaintiffs in their case to obtain forgiveness, otherwise the judiciary has ordered for all those with confirmed death sentences to be executed.”
At the time of writing, the two men’s executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
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.
2 Unidentified Men Executed in Bandar Abbas
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 9, 2023: State media reported the execution of two men for drug-related charges in Bandar Abbas Central Prison.
According to Hamshahri Online, two men were executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison on 8 November. One of the unnamed men was 62 years old and had been sentenced to death for trafficking 350 kilograms of heroin. The other was a young man accused of trafficking 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Group Execution of 8; Second Group Execution in November in Ghezel Hesar Prison
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 9, 2023: Eight men who were sentenced to death for charges of murder, drug-related and moharebeh through armed robbery, were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, eight men were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on 8 November. Four of the men who were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder have been identified as: Mostafa Ziafar, Seyed Peyman Mousavi, Bahman Fathollahi and Mohammad Vaseghi.
Two other men identified as Rasoul Teimuri and Vali (surname unknown), were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, the two other men’s identities have not been established. One man was also on death row for drug-related charges and the other had been sentenced to death for moharebeh (enmity against god) through armed robbery.
The men were transferred Units 2 and 3 to solitary confinement in a group of 10 but the other two men’s executions were postponed due to unknown reasons.
At the time of writing, the eight men’s executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
On 1 November, at least nine men were executed in another group execution in Ghezel Hesar Prison. Six others were transferred for execution that day but later returned to their cells. Kurdish political prisoner, Ghasem Abasteh was also executed at the prison on 5 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.
Unnamed Man Executed in Kerman
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 8, 2023: State media have reported the execution of an unnamed man for murder in Kerman Central Prison.
According to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 8 November. The unnamed man was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.
He had allegedly set fire to a residential building, causing the death of seven people and injuring three.
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 Kermanshah
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 8, 2023: Farhad Aghayi, 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 (Dizel Abad) Central Prison on 8 November. His identity has been established as Farhad Aghayi who was sentenced to qisas for murder by the Criminal Court.
Kurdpa which first reported news of his execution, stated that he was from the village of Badar Abad and had been arrested for the murder of his nephew on 5 June 2016.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials
Execution in Urmia
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 8, 2023: Akbar Farokhi, a man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed in Urmia Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Urmia Central Prison on 8 November. His identity has been established as Akbar Farokhi from Urmia who was sentenced to qisas for murder.
Akbar Farokhi was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution along with another murder death row prisoner on 6 November. The second man managed to obtain an extension from the plaintiffs in his case at the last minute and was returned to his cell.
At the time of writing, Akbar Farokhi’s execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Source:
Iran Human Rights, Staff, November 8-9, 2023
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