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Japan | Hakamada found religion, but then felt under attack by ‘the devil’

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Editor's note: This is the last in a four-part series on letters that Iwao Hakamada wrote while on death row. About a decade after cursing God, Iwao Hakamada was baptized Catholic at the Tokyo Detention House on Dec. 24, 1984. “Since I have been given the Christian name Paul, I am keenly feeling that I should be aware of the greatness of Paul.” (June 1985)

Iran | Executions in Qom, Kermanshah

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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 6, 2024: Ali Asghar Falah, a man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed Qom Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Qom Central Prison on 5 May. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Ali Asghar Falah who was sentenced to qisas for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ali Asghar Falah was arrested for murder around three years ago and sentenced to qisas. He was transferred to solitary confinement on Friday, 3 May and executed on Sunday.”

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.

In 2023, at least 282 people including two juvenile offenders and 15 women, were executed for murder charges, the second highest number of qisas executions since 2010. Only 20% of the recorded qisas executions were announced by official sources. In 2023, Iran Human Rights also recorded 857 cases of families choosing diya or forgiveness instead of qisas executions.

Execution in Kermanshah 


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 5, 2024: Khosro Babavaldini, a man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed Kermanshah Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison on 1st May. His identity has been established as 60-year-old Khosro Babavaldini who was sentenced to qisas for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Khosro Babavaldini was from the village of Sarmaj Hosseinkhani in Harsin and was arrested for murder around ten years ago.”

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

IHRNGO previously reported the execution of Ali Ashraf Khani at the prison that day, which brings the number of executions to two.

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.

In 2023, at least 282 people including two juvenile offenders and 15 women, were executed for murder charges, the second highest number of qisas executions since 2010. Only 20% of the recorded qisas executions were announced by official sources. In 2023, Iran Human Rights also recorded 857 cases of families choosing diya or forgiveness instead of qisas executions.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, May 6-5, 2024

_____________________________________________________________________








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

— Oscar Wilde



Location: Iran
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