Prisoner Hossein Ramezani Executed in Qazvin, Iran

According to Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Qazvin Central Prison in the early hours of April 12. His identity has been established as 37 year-old Hossein Ramezani, who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source has told IHR: “Hossein Ramezani was a young villager who had got into a physical altercation with another farmer overwatering their land and killed him five years ago. He had been in Qazvin Prison since and executed there.”

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

According to Iran Human Rights’ Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 211 of the 267 people executed in 2020 were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for "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.