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U.S. Presidential Election 2024: Death penalty absent from campaign, but not from minds

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Kamala Harris, once openly opposed to the death penalty despite political costs, now avoids the topic as a candidate. Meanwhile, Donald Trump advocates tougher criminal policies, though presidential authority in this area is limited. A few blocks from downtown Richmond, Virginia, the intersection of Spring Street and Belvidere Street now presents a completely different view. Where once stood a grim, old brick building, there is now a modern building with a glass facade reflecting the sun shining on Virginia’s capital. Trees along the wide Belvidere Street give the neighborhood a promenade-like feel, with the James River flowing nearby along the memorial for American war dead.

Iran | Executions in Minab, Khorramabad

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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); July 29, 2024: Mahim Jangizehi, a Baluch man on death row for murder, was executed in Minab Prison.

According to the Baloch Activists Campaign, a Baluch man was executed in Minab Prison in Hormozgan province on 29 July. His identity has been reported as Mahim Jangizehi from Jasak who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

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. Crucially, while an indicative amount is set by the Judiciary every year, there is no legal limit to how much can be demanded by families of the victims. IHRNGO has recorded many cases where defendants are executed because they cannot afford to pay the blood money.

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.

3 Men and a Woman Executed in Khorramabad


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); July 27, 2024: Ardeshir Maleki, Azim Amrayi and an unidentified man and woman were executed for drug-related charges in Khorramabad Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men and a woman were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison on 27 July. Two of the men’s identities have been established as 40-year-old Ardeshir Maleki from Kouhdasht and 33-year old Azim Amrayi from Aligoudarz. The third man and woman were not identified at the time of writing.

All four were sentenced to drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court in separate cases.

At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran. The unidentified woman is the 15th woman to be executed in 2024.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 471 people were executed for drug-related charges, an 84% increase compared to 2022 (256) and about 18 times the average of drug-related executions in 2018-2020. In the first six months of 2024, at least 147 people were executed for the charges.

On 10 April 2024, 80+ Iranian and international organisations and groups called for joint action to stop drug-related executions, urging UNODC to make “any cooperation with the Islamic Republic contingent on a complete halt on drug-related executions.”

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, July 27-29, 2024

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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



Location: Iran
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