Hossein Shabanzadeh Executed in Rasht/2 Others Await Gallows

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Rasht Central Prison on 11 May. His identity has been established as 60-year-old Hossein Shabanzadeh who was sentenced to qisas(retribution-in-kind) for murder.

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

On 13 May, two other men were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions at the same prison. Also sentenced to death for murder, they are scheduled to be executed on 18 May should they fail to convince their victims’ families to forgo their right to execution.

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.

According to the 2022 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 582 people were executed in Iran. Of those, 288 were executed for murder charges.