Baluch Heydar Heybozadeh Executed for Murder Despite Alibi

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a Baluch man was executed in Yazd Central Prison on July 21. His identity has been established as 29-year-old Heydar Heybozadeh who was sentenced to qisas(retribution-in-kind) for murder. He was a father of one and was transferred for execution from Ward 3 of Yazd Central Prison.

An informed source previously told Iran Human Rights: “Heydar Heybozadeh was arrested for the murder of a ranger around seven years ago. He denied the murder in court and said he wasn’t even at the location when the murder took place.”

Another prisoner named Mohammad Ali Ojaghi, a Kermanshah native who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was transferred to solitary confinement along with Heydar but there is no information available about his fate at the time of writing.

According to Hal Vash which first reported news of Heydar Heybozadeh’s execution, he was in another city with his family at the time of the murder. His family were also arrested and detained at the time of his arrest.

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

According to data gathered by Iran Human Rights, at least 183 people were executed on murder charges in 2021. Those charged with the umbrella term of “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) regardless of intent or circumstances due to a lack of grading in law. Once a defendant has been convicted, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.

At least 251 including 6 women and 67 Baluch minorities were executed in the first six months of 2022. This is double the number of executions in the same period in 2021 when 117 people were executed.