At Least 6 Men Transferred for Execution in 3 Prisons

According to Iran Human Rights, two men were transferred to solitary confinement on 13 May in preparation for their executions in Boroujerd Prison. Their identities have been established as Rasoul Alhaghi and Mojtaba Heidari who were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder in the same case.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Rasoul and Mojtaba are cousins who were arrested for a murder committed during a group fight around three years ago and sentenced to death.”

Additionally, at least two were transferred to solitary confinement in Khorramabad Prison in the past few days. Sentenced to death for drug-related charges, their identity have been established as Firouz Yarinejad from the Geravand tribe in Kouhdasht and Mohammad Paydar from Shoushtar.

Two other men were transferred to solitary confinement in Sanadaj Central Prison on 14 May. Jamshid Karimiand Mostafa Salehi were sentenced to qisas for murder.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Jamshid Karimi was arrested for murder five years ago and Mostafa Salehi was arrested for the same charges around four years ago.

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.

According to the 2022 Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran, at least 582 people were executed in Iran. Of those, 288 were executed for murder charges. At least 256 people were executed for drug-related offences, a more than two-fold increase compared to 2021 (126) and ten times more than 2020 (25).