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Activists Call on President Biden to End the Federal Death Penalty Before Leaving Office

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A conversation with Death Penalty Action Co-founder and Executive Director Abe Bonowitz. Now that Joe Biden is a lame duck president, activists are holding him accountable to make good on his promise to end the federal death penalty during his remaining six months as president. Biden’s election campaign in 2020 had pledged to end the federal death penalty and incentivize the remaining 27 states that still allow executions to do the same. While he made history as the first president in the United States to openly oppose the death penalty, there has been no movement to actually end federal executions during his nearly four years in office.

Iran | Executions in Zahedan, Mashhad

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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 1, 2024: Fazl Ahmad Fatehnia, a Baluch man on death row for murder, was executed in Zahedan Central Prison.

According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 31 July. His identity has been reported as 30-year-old Fazl Ahmad Fatehnia (Zarakzehi) from the Shirabad region of Zahedan.

Per the report, he was arrested for the murder of his father in Zahak city around two years ago and transferred to Zabol. The Zabol Criminal Court sentenced him to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. He was transferred to the pre-execution solitary confinement cells the night prior to his execution.

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.

Two executed in Mashhad


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 1, 2024: Ramezan Gholamian and Mousa Najar, two men on death row for murder, were executed in Mashhad Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Mashhad Central Prison on 24 July. Their identities have been established as 32-year-old Ramezan Gholamian (photo) and 38-year-old Mousa Najar who were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Mousa Najar was accused of stabbing a motorcyclist during a fight in the Khalgh Abad neighbourhood of Mashhad in July 2021. Ramezan Gholamian was arrested for murder around two years ago.”

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, August 1, 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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