Probable Juvenile Offender, Afghan National Mohammad Hossein Alizadeh Executed in Qom

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, an Afghan man was executed in Qom Central Prison on August 10. His identity has been established as 24-year-old Mohammad Hossein Alizadeh who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Mohammad Hossein Alizadeh was arrested in 2016 accused of committing a murder during a mass fight in Qom and sentenced to death. He was 17 years old at the time of arrest and had got into the fight when several people attacked his cousin on the street and caused the killing in his defence.”

Iran Human Rights has been unable to independently verify his age and is continuing its investigations.

Mohammad Hossein was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution with two other prisoners named Mehdi Shahpasand and Hossein Ziari. They were returned to their cells after obtaining extensions in their cases from the victims’ families.

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.