Iran | Executions in Semnan, Isfahan, Ghezel Hesar

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

_____________________________________________________________________

Twitter/X | Instagram | Telegram | Contact Us

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

Comments

Tennessee Supreme Court denies stay for death row inmate Christa Pike

(TNND) — As Tennessee prepares for a Sept. 30 execution, the Tennessee Supreme Court has denied death row inmate Christa Gail Pike’s request to stop it. The court rejected Pike’s challenge to the state’s lethal-injection protocol, finding that her thrombocytosis diagnosis, a condition involving elevated blood platelets, did not show the execution would violate the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Tennessee Woman Christa Pike Survives Lethal Injection, Ends Up in Hospital; Governor Halts Executions

Tennessee unable to carry out the execution by lethal injection of Christa Gail Pike Tennessee officials were unable to put Christa Gail Pike to death for a 1995 murder Wednesday, media witnesses said, after the lethal injection was halted for hours as courts considered a last-minute appeal of what would have been the state's 1st execution of a woman in at least 200 years. Pike, 50, had been scheduled for execution for a killing she committed at age 18 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned an appeals court ruling that stopped the lethal injection just an hour before it was to start. Officials then attempted to go ahead with it as planned.

Florida | He executed death row prisoners. Then they came back to haunt him

Dunnellon, Florida—Every night, one of the men Ron McAndrew killed would sit at the foot of his bed and stare, blankly, into his tortured soul. He knew they were coming. He’d shift over in his sheets to make room. “They never said anything,” McAndrew recalls, his aged voice straining from the weight of the memory. “They just sat there and looked at me.” But their eyes would talk. They would ask, "How could you do such a thing?’” says McAndrew. “You always claimed to be a good person. And now you’re killing people.”

Tennessee | Governor permits Christa Pike execution: 'I am upholding the sentence'

Gov. Bill Lee does not plan to stop Christa Pike's execution. Pike, 50, is scheduled to be killed by lethal injection 10 a.m. Sept. 30 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. “After deliberate consideration of Christa Gail Pike’s request for clemency, and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene," Lee said in a statement released Sept. 28. Pike's attorneys lamented the news.

Florida executes Curtis Beasley

A 77-year-old man convicted of killing a woman with a hammer has become the 16th person executed this year in Florida A 77-year-old Florida man was put to death Tuesday for his conviction in a deadly hammer attack on a woman decades ago, becoming the 16th person executed to date this year in the nation’s busiest death chamber. Curtis Wilkie Beasley was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. He was convicted of 1st-degree murder, robbery, and grand theft auto in the 1995 hammer attack on Carolyn Monfort at her home south of Orlando.

Philippines | President Marcos Grants Absolute Pardon to Mary Jane Veloso

President Marcos Confirms Decision to Grant Absolute Pardon to Mary Jane Veloso President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed an absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso after more than a decade. On Friday (September 25, 2026), the President confirmed the decision during a visit to Guiuan, Eastern Samar. According to him, the pardon was officially signed the previous day, marking a major development in the case.

William Thompson Faces Execution in Florida Amid Dementia, Terminal Illness Concerns

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an execution warrant for 74-year-old prisoner William “Bill” Thompson less than 24 hours after he was released from the hospital to the hospice wing of the prison. After his attorneys raised serious concerns about his mental competency and deteriorating physical health, Gov. DeSantis agreed to temporarily stay the execution so Mr. Thompson’s competency can be evaluated on October 1. If he is found competent, his execution remains scheduled for October 13.

Singapore | Ministry of Home Affairs refutes claims that death penalty was discussed during visit by Israel's security ministry

The Ministry of Home Affairs says discussions with the Israeli government involved the sharing of best practices in emergency response, crime prevention, and forensics. Issues relating to the death penalty “were never part of the meeting and were not discussed." SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday (Sep 11) refuted claims by an Israeli media outlet that the death penalty was discussed during a visit by an Israeli delegation in May. The Haaretz newspaper reported on Sep 7 that a delegation comprising representatives from the Israel Prison Service and National Security Ministry made a “secret visit” to Singapore that month.

Texas executes Ker’Sean Ramey

Texas executes man for a triple killing, days after other man convicted in case was put to death A man was executed Wednesday evening in Texas for a triple killing committed during an attempted robbery at a rural home, 1 week after the other man convicted in the case was put to death. Ker’Sean Ramey, 41, was pronounced dead at 6:34 p.m. CDT following a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. He was the 6th person executed this year in Texas, with 3 more lethal injections scheduled in the state over the next 2 months.

DNA evidence doesn’t match man who spent decades on death row, Utah prosecutors say

Douglas Stewart Carter, 71, was sentenced to death in 1985 after a jury found him guilty of murdering Eva Olesen Prosecutors are dropping their plan to seek the death penalty in an upcoming retrial of a Utah man who spent decades on death row for a 1985 killing in which newly analyzed DNA evidence did not match him. Douglas Stewart Carter, 71, was sentenced to death in 1985 after a jury found him guilty of murdering Eva Olesen, the aunt of a former Provo police chief. The state Supreme Court last year ordered a new trial, citing misconduct by investigators. Carter remains in custody and maintains his innocence.

Death Penalty News

Search This Blog