Five Unidentified Men Executed for Murder in Karaj

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, five men were executed in Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison on December 14. Their identities have not been established at the time of writing.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Nobody knows the names of the five prisoners executed, apparently they were transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison for execution from the Greater Tehran Penitentiary.”

At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

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.

More than 500 people including 2 juvenile offenders have been executed in 2022, the highest annual execution since 2017.