Hamidreza Bakhtiari at Risk of Execution in Tircheh Bolouk Boroujerd Prison

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, 24-year-old Hamidreza Bakhtiari is at imminent risk of execution in Tircheh Bolouk Boroujerd Prison. He was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder during a mass fight.

Hamidreza was 18 at the time of the offence and has a son.

A relative told Iran Human Rights: “He stabbed [name withheld by Iran Human Rights] during a mass fight and the individual had a heart attack in the car when he saw the blood and passed away. Hamidreza himself said it wasn’t an intentional murder and I didn’t stab him intending to kill him. He has 20 days to pay 1.5 billion tomans (diya, blood money to victim’s family). His sentence will be carried out if he can’t come up with that amount.”

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 and no grading, 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.