Hamed Heydari at Risk of Execution in Khalkhal Prison

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, Hamed Heydari who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for “participation in murder,” is at risk of execution in Khalkhal Prison.

One of his relatives told Iran Human Rights: “Hamed Heydar was a soldier in Khalkhal Prison and is accused of committing murder with another prisoner called Hassan [full name withheld by IHRNGO] who was under 18. This is while Hamed’s family insist that he didn’t commit the murder and was only with Hassan.”

“In the last ten days, the victim’s family accepted diya (blood money) from Hassan’s family and used it to pay the diya difference for Hamed. Officials told Hamed’s family that he may even be executed during Ramadan.”

In Sharia law, one life is worth one full diya (bloody money). In qisas cases where two defendants are found guilty of murdering one person, the victim’s family have to pay half a diya for defendants executed as retribution since they are deemed to have only taken half a life.

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.