Iran | Executions in Urmia, Amol, Tabriz, Kashan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 16, 2024: Amanj Azizi, a Kurdish man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Urmia Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Urmia (Darya) Central Prison on 15 November. His identity has been established as Amanj Azizi, a married Kurdish man from the village of Aghlan who lived in Sardasht.

He was arrested for drug-related offences eight years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

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.”

Execution in Amol

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 15, 2024: Reza Kardel, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Amol Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Amol Prison in Mazandaran province on 14 November. His identity has been established as 32-year-old Reza Kardel who was arrested around three years ago.

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

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.

Executions in Tabriz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 15, 2024: Salar Shamipour Zardkhaneh and Ali Abedini, two men on death row for murder, was executed in Jiroft Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Tabriz Central Prison on 13 November. Their identities have been established as 44-year-old Salar Shamipour Zardkhaneh and 46-year-old Ali Abedini who were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder in separate cases.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Salar was from the village of Zardkhane in Ahar and was arrested three years ago. Ali Abedini was from Tabriz and on death row for four years.”

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

Execution for rape in Urmia

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 15, 2024: Omid Sheikh Kanlu Milan, a man on death row for rape charges, was executed in Urmia Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Urmia (Darya) Central Prison on 13 November. His identity has been established as Omid Sheikh Kanlu Milan from Salmas.

He was arrested three years ago and sentenced to death for rape charges by the Criminal Court.

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

In cases of rape, there is a high chance of defendants being tortured to make false confessions, which is used to issue death sentences. In Iran is one of the few countries in the world that issues the death penalty for rape. A lot of cases are also rushed without the defendants having access to a lawyer.

According to the 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 20 people were executed for rape charges in 2022 compared to 23 in 2022 and 10 in 2021.

Executions in Kashan

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.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, November 14-16, 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

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