Afghan National, Ashraf Akramollah Executed in Isfahan/Father Executed 15 years Ago

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, an Afghan national was executed in Isfahan Central Prison on 18 February. His identity has been established as 36-year-old Ashraf Akramollah from Jalal Abad in Afghanistan.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Ashraf Akramollah had moved to Iran with his family when he was 11 years old. In 2010, Ashraf’s father was executed for drug charges at the same prison. Ashraf has now been executed at this prison for murder during a group fight. Ashraf was trying to act as a mediator to end the fight. Someone had attacked another person with a knife which had caused the death in question. Ashraf didn’t run away like the others, he stayed until the police arrived at the scene and was the one arrested and sentenced to death.”

“Ashraf told his cellmates that his father had also been innocently killed. His father worked at a greengrocery where the owner was also selling drugs without his father’s knowledge. When 900 grams of methamphetamine was discovered, it was Ashraf’s father who was arrested and executed. Ashraf said his father was a good Muslim who was against drugs,” the source added.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

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, as the plaintiffs, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.

It is important to note that Afghan nationals constitute the largest group of non-Iranian executions and death row cases in Iranian prisons. The number executions have been steadily rising since the Taliban takeover in 2021. At least five Afghan nationals were executed in 2021 which more than tripled in 2022, with 16 Afghan nationals including a juvenile offender and a woman executed. In 2023, at least 25 Afghans were executed, a 56% rise compared to the previous year. Ashraf Akramollah is the fifth Afghan national executed in 2024.