Iran Human Rights (IHR); September 9, 2020: A prisoner sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder was executed in Borujerd Central Prison and another prisoner on death row was returned to his cell after being granted an extension.
According to Iran Human Rights, a male prisoner was executed in Borujerd Central Prison this morning, 9th September. The identity of the Borujerd native who had been sentenced to qisas for murder has been established as Shahbaz Haddadi.
Shahbaz Haddadi was transferred to solitary confinement on Sunday, September 6, along with another prisoner, Safar Mehrani. Safar Mehrani managed to get a last minute two-month extension to pay one billion and five hundred thousand Tomans to his victim’s family as diyya (blood money) and was returned to his cell.
At the time of publication, the execution of Shahbaz Haddadi has not been announced by domestic media or official sources in Iran.
According to Iran Human Rights’ annual report on the Death Penalty in Iran, at least 225 of the 280 of those executed in 2019 were charged with murder.
As there are no legal distinctions made between murder and manslaughter, whether voluntary or involuntary in Iran, those charged under the umbrella term of “premeditated murder” will receive the death penalty regardless of intent and the circumstances.