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To U.S. Death Row Inmates, Today's Election is a Matter of Life or Death

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You don't have to tell Daniel Troya and the 40 other denizens of federal death row locked in shed-sized solitary cells for 23 hours a day, every day, that elections have consequences. To them, from inside the U.S. government's only death row located in Terre Haute, Indiana, Tuesday's election is quite literally a matter of life and death: If Kamala Harris wins, they live; if Donald Trump wins, they die. "He's gonna kill everyone here that he can," Troya, 41, said in an email from behind bars. "That's as easy to predict as the sun rising."
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Iran | Executions in Kashan, Shiraz, Jiroft, Qazvin, Zahedan, Yasuj

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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 14, 2024: Mehdi Sharif and Hossein Faramarzi, two men on death row for drug-related offences in separate cases, were executed in Kashan Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Kashan Prison on 13 November. Their identities have been established as Mehdi Sharif and 40-year-old Hossein Faramari from Kashan. Mehdi was arrested two years ago and Hoseein was arrested for carrying 85 kilograms of shisheh (methamphetamines) and opium sap three years ago.

They were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in separate cases.

At the time of writing, their executions have 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.”

Execution in Shiraz


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 14, 2024: Fathollah Rashidi, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Shiraz Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 13 November. His identity has been established as Fathollah Rashidi who was arrested for drug-related offences two years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

He was transferred for execution to Shiraz Central Prison from Pirabanu Prison.

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); November 14, 2024: Ghiam Safizadeh, 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 in Kerman province on 13 November. His identity has been established as Ghiam Safizadeh 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.

Execution in in Qazvin


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 13, 2024: Hamid Soltan Abadi, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Qazvin Central Prison.

According to HRANA news agency, a man was executed in Qazvin (Choobindar) Central Prison on 10 November. His identity has been reported as 36-year-old Hamid Soltan Abadi who was arrested for drug-related offences five years ago.

He was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

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

Execution in Zahedan


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 13, 2024: Zakaria Alizehi, a Baluch man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Zahedan Central Prison.

According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 12 November. His identity has been reported as 27-year-old Zakaria Alizehi who was arrested for drug-related offences three years ago.

He was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

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

Execution in Yasuj


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 13, 2024: Saman Karimi, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Yasuj Central Prison.

According to Hengaw, a man was executed in Yasuj Central Prison on 10 November. His identity has been reported as 25-year-old Saman Karimi from Bahmaei who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. He was on death row for two years.

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, November 13-14, 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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