Saeed Biranvand and Unidentified Man Executed in Khorramabad

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison on 13 August. One of the men has been identified as 49-year-old Saeed Biranvand who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

The second man whose identity has not been established at the time of writing, was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Saeed Biranvand was from the Safar Biranvand tribe in the village of Bidgijeh and was arrested for murder charges around five years ago.”

At the time of writing, their executions have not 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.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years. At least 206 people were executed for drug-related charges in the first six months of 2023, a 126% rise compared to the same period in 2022 when 91 were executed. 40 people were executed in the same period in 2021.

The number of drug executions dramatically dropped in 2018 following a 2017 Amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Laws. Consequently, drug executions ranged between 24-30 per annum between 2018-2020. The Amendment was reversed in practice in 2021 when executions increased ten-fold to 126 in 2021 and doubled again in 2022 with 256 drug-related executions.