Kazem Alilu at Imminent Risk of Execution in Urmia

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least one man was transferred to solitary confinement on 2nd November in preparation for his execution in Urmia (Darya) Central Prison. His identity has been established as Kazem Alilu who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) by the Criminal Court.

Informed sources told IHRNGO: “Kazem was arrested five years ago and was transferred to solitary confinement from dormitory 1-2. If the plaintiffs don’t change their mind, he’ll be executed within hours.”

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. Crucially, while an indicative amount is set by the Judiciary every year, there is no legal limit to how much can be demanded by families of the victims. IHRNGO has recorded many cases where defendants are executed because they cannot afford to pay the blood money.

In 2023, at least 282 people including two juvenile offenders and 15 women, were executed for murder charges, the second highest number of qisas executions since 2010. Only 20% of the recorded qisas executions were announced by official sources. In 2023, Iran Human Rights also recorded 857 cases of families choosing diya or forgiveness instead of qisas executions.