Mehdi Bakhshandeh Executed in Gonbad Kavous

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a Turkmen man was executed in Gonbad Kavous Prison, Golestan province, on 15 November. His identity has been established as Mehdi Bakhshandeh from Karand  who was sentenced to qisas for murder.

Mehdi was accused of stabbing a Karand border commander on 25 December 2020. An informed source told IHRNGO: “The border commander started harassing men and women at a café and beat up one of them. Mehdi Bakhshandeh had committed the murder in retaliation a few days later.”

At the time of writing, his execution has 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, as the plaintiffs, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.