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Singapore | Inside the prison that executes people for supplying cannabis

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Singapore CNN  — Though he is provided with a straw mat, Matthew says he prefers to sleep on the concrete floor of his cell in the maximum-security wing of Singapore’s Changi Prison. “It’s more cooling that way,” says the 41-year-old former schoolteacher, who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison and seven strokes of the cane for selling methamphetamine. CNN met Matthew, who spoke on condition that his last name be withheld, during an exclusive tour of Changi Prison provided by Singapore authorities as they defended the city-state’s uncompromising position on drugs.

Iran | Executions in Kerman, Torbat Hediarieh

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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 16, 2024: Amar Assian, a policeman on death row for murder, was executed in Kerman Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 13 October. His identity has been established Amar Assian who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Amar Assian was a first lieutenant in the police and was arrested for the murder of a woman.”

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 Torbat Hediarieh


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 15, 2024: Reza Mirzabeigi, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Torbat Heidarieh Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Torbat Hediarieh Prison in Khorasan Razavi province on 13 October. His identity has been established 30-year-old Reza Mirzabeigi from Torbat Heidarieh who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Reza Mirzabeigi was arrested three and a half years ago for murdering his friend during a verbal argument.”

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, October 15-16, 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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