Saeed Najafi and Borzou Chogharzardi Executed in Kermanshah

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Kermanshah (Dizel Abad) Central Prison on 17 May. Their identities have been established as 28-year-old Saeed Najafi (pictured) and 45-year-old Borzou Chogharzardi who were sentenced to qisas for murder.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Saeed Najafi was arrested for murder five years ago and sentenced to death. He was accused of committing the murder during an altercation. He was under interrogations in police custody for four months. He said he had confessed under police torture and had been under medical care as a result of the torture.”

“Borzou was a father of three and had been arrested and sentenced to death for murder six years ago.”

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

According to the 2022 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 582 people were executed in Iran. Of those, 288 were executed for murder charges.

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.