Kamal Elhami Executed for Rape in Saqqez

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Saqqez Central Prison on 6 December. His identity has been established as 43-year-old Kamal Elhami who was arrested for rape charges five years ago.

He was sentenced to death for allegedly raping a conscript soldier.

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 2022 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 23 people were executed for rape charges in 2022 compared to 10 in 2021 and 12 in 2020.