Unidentified Man Executed in Mashhad

According to the official Khorasan newspaper, a man was executed in Mashhad Central Prison on July 5. Sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for the murder of his wife on 9 August 2009, he has only been identified as 45-year-old Ali. P.

Ali is reported to have killed his wife with an ax after returning home with her from a family court over a dispute. They were both teachers at the time.

The newspaper had previously reported the executions of a 37-year-old man identified as M and a 70-years-old man identified as A.A in Mashhad Central Prison on June 30 and a 21-year-old only identified as Mehdi.G.

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.