Esmail Soltan-Abadi and Afshar Fathi Executed in Kermanshah Central Prison

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 8, 2021: Afshar Fathi who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed on September 30 and Esmail Soltan-Abadi was secretly executed on August 9 on the same charge in Kermanshah Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison on the morning of September 30. His identity has been established as 28-year-old Afshar Fathi and he was executed on murder charges.

Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights which first published the news reported Afshar Fathi  had been from the village of Kushkak in the Sarfirouzabad district of Kermanshah and was arrested and sentenced to death four years ago.

IHRNGO previously reported the execution of Mashallah Sabzi at the same prison on the same day which increases the number of executions to two.

Iran Human Rights has also obtained information about the execution of Esmail Soltan-Abadi who was secretly executed at the prison on August 9. He was a Kangavar native and had also been sentenced to qisas for murder.

Informed sources told IHRNGO: “Esmail Soltan-Abadi was sentenced to qisas based on a qassameh ceremony and had spent 23 years in prison. The victim’s family had vowed to never execute the sentence and had said that they wanted him to rot in prison. He was executed without his family being notified and being able to have a last visit with him.”

Qassameh is based on swearing an oath on the Quran by a certain number of the victim’s family. In murder cases, 50 male members of the victim’s family are required to make a qassameh. It should be noted that the people who swear in qassameh ceremonies are not required and are not usually direct witnesses to the crime.

According to Iran Human Rights’ Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 211 of the 267 people executed in 2020 were sentenced to qisas(retribution-in-kind) for "premeditated murder." One case of qassameh was recorded by IHR in 2020.

As there are no legal distinctions made between murder and manslaughter, whether voluntary or involuntary in Iran, those charged under the umbrella term of “premeditated murder” will receive the death penalty regardless of the intent and circumstances.