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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 Kermanshah, Boroujerd, Jiroft, Hamedan

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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 26, 2024: Kambakhsh Mahmoudi, a man on death row 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 25 September. His identity has been established as 34-year-old Kambakhsh Mahmoudi from Bistoon who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Kambakhsh was accused of killing someone on 29 September 2022. His brother was also executed for the same charges years ago.”

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.

Execution in Boroujerd


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 26, 2024: Khodamorad Zandi, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Boroujerd Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Boroujerd Prison on 23 September. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Khodamorad Zandi who was arrested for murder three years ago.

He was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) by the Criminal Court.

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

Execution in  Jiroft


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 26, 2024: Yaser Balandeh, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Jiroft Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Jiroft Prison on 23 September. His identity has been established as 32-year-old Yaser Balandeh (Damani) from Roudbar who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Yaser Balandeh was behind bars for around five years. He was accused of killing his cousin once removed over a property. The victim’s family all wanted to grant forgiveness but his brother demanded retribution and put the noose around his neck. Yaser had a young child.”

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); September 25, 2024: Malek Hossein Tarkashvand, a Kurdish man on death row for drug-related charges, was executed in Hamedan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a Kurdish man was executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 23 September. His identity has been established as 45-year-old Malek Hossein Tarkashvand who sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Malek Hossein Tarkashvand was a Kurd from Malayer. He was arrested for possession three years ago.”

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

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, September 25-26, 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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