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Biden Fails a Death Penalty Abolitionist’s Most Important Test

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The mystery of Joe Biden’s views about capital punishment has finally been solved. His decision to grant clemency to 37 of the 40 people on federal death row shows the depth of his opposition to the death penalty. And his decision to leave three of America’s most notorious killers to be executed by a future administration shows the limits of his abolitionist commitment. The three men excluded from Biden’s mass clemency—Dylann Roof, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers—would no doubt pose a severe test of anyone’s resolve to end the death penalty. Biden failed that test.
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Iran | Executions in Semnan, Isfahan, Ghezel Hesar

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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 13, 2025: The execution of a prisoner named Jafar Fallah, who had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges, was carried out at Semnan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), the death sentence of a man was carried out at Semnan Central Prison on the morning of Sunday, January 12. The identity of the prisoner, who had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges, has been confirmed as 44-year-old Jafar Fallah.

A knowledgeable source told Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), “Jafar Fallah was from Zibashahr, Tehran, and had been arrested on drug-related charges three years ago and sentenced to death.”

The execution of this prisoner has not been announced by Iranian domestic media or official sources at the time of writing this report.

The execution of prisoners sentenced to death for drug-related charges has increased sharply and consistently over the past four years. In 2023, there was an 84% increase compared to 2022, when 256 people were executed on drug-related charges. In 2023, the number of such executions reached 471.

Execution in Isfahan


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 11, 2025: The execution of a prisoner named Houshang Shahi, who had been sentenced to death (qisas) for "premeditated murder," was carried out on Thursday morning at Isfahan Central Prison (Dastgerd). The execution marks the second reported on the same day.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), the death sentence of Houshang Shahi, approximately 40 years old, was carried out at Isfahan Central Prison on Thursday, January 9. Shahi had been sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for "premeditated murder."

Earlier reports confirmed the execution of another prisoner named Samad Najar-Asl, who had also been sentenced to qisas for "premeditated murder" on the same day in Isfahan Central Prison. This raises the total number of executions on Thursday in Isfahan to two.

A knowledgeable source told Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), “Houshang Shahi was originally from Lahijan but had been living in Isfahan with his family for years. He was the father of two children and was arrested five years ago for murder and sentenced to death.”

The source added, “Before his arrest, Houshang Shahi was a welder. He had a financial dispute with someone who owed him money, and in a confrontation, he threw a piece of iron at the debtor, which resulted in the debtor's death.”

The execution of this prisoner has not been reported by Iranian domestic media or official sources at the time of writing this report.

The lack of classification for murder charges in Iran means that all murder cases, regardless of circumstances, severity, or motive, can result in a death sentence.

Executions in Ghezel Hesar


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 10, 2025: The death sentences of at least six prisoners, including three Afghan nationals, were carried out in separate cases at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. The prisoners had been sentenced to death or qisas (retribution-in-kind) on drug-related charges or "premeditated murder."

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), at least six men, including three Afghan nationals, were executed at Ghezel Hesar Prison on the morning of Wednesday, January 8. Two of the prisoners sentenced to death on drug-related charges have been identified as Salman Bozorgmehr and Reza Azizian.

The identity of another prisoner, an Afghan national who was also sentenced to death on drug-related charges, has not yet been confirmed at the time of this report.

Additionally, HRANA News Agency, which first reported the executions, stated that three other prisoners sentenced to qisas for "premeditated murder" were also executed. One of these prisoners has been identified as Ashkan Piryan, while the identities of the other two, who were Afghan nationals, remain unknown.

The executions of these six prisoners have not been officially announced by Iranian domestic media or government sources at the time of writing.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, January 10-13, 2025

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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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