Iran: Four Prisoners Transferred to Solitary Confinement in Preparation for Execution

According to Iran Human Rights, four prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions early this morning, October 28. The four prisoners have been sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

Their identities have only been established as Ali, Mousa, Yasser and Iraj; their surnames are yet to be established. The four men were sentenced to be executed publicly on charges of murdering five people as part of the same case and have been in prison for five years.

Should the families of the victims not consent to accepting diyya (blood money) instead of retribution, it is expected that their executions will be carried out within hours.

According to Iran Human Rights’ annual report, at least 225 of the 280 of those executed in 2019 were charged with "premeditated 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.