Hamid Asgarinia Executed for Rape in Qom

According to HRANA news agency, a man was executed in Qom Central Prison on 30 July. His identity has been reported as Hamid Asgarinia from Arak.

He was arrested for charges of rape, kidnapping and robbery and transferred to Saveh Prison. He was later transferred to Qom Central Prison where he was executed for the rape charges.

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

In cases of rape, there is a high chance of defendants being tortured to make false confessions, which is used to issue death sentences. In Iran is one of the few countries in the world that issues the death penalty for rape. A lot of cases are also rushed without the defendants having access to a lawyer.

According to the 2022 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 23 people were executed for rape charges in 2022 compared to 10 in 2021 and 12 in 2020.