Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 20, 2023: State media have reported the execution of Shahrooz Sokhanvari who authorities claimed was arrested by Interpol in Malaysia and extradited to Iran in 2020.
Condemning the executions, Iran Human Rights demands Interpol be held accountable for handing Shahrooz Sokhanvari to Iran authorities.
Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “If, as Islamic Republic authorities claim, Interpol was involved in handing over Shahrooz Sokhanvari to Iran, they are complicit in his execution and must be held accountable.”
In a statement published in August 2022, Iran Human Rights questioned Interpol about its involvement in Sokhanvari’s extradition to Iran which was never answered.
According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was executed in Rajai Shahr on 20 May. His identity has been reported as 40-year-old Shahrooz Sokhanvari who was sentenced to death for charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) for “human trafficking for prostitiution.” He helped sex workers travel abroad for work, per the report.
Shahrooz Sokhanvari was arrested by Interpol in Malaysia in September 2020 and deported to Iran. Iran Human Rights previously questioned Interpol about their role in his deportation.
Did Interpol Hand Over Man Facing Death Penalty in Iran?
Shahrooz Sokhanvari’s death sentence by the Tehran Revolutionary Court was reported by a Judiciary spokesperson on 16 August 2022. It is not clear when his sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court.
Due to the vague definition, the charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) are used for a wide range of offences. Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code lists “establishing and running centres of corruption and prostitution” as one of the charges leading to the death penalty for efsad-fil-arz. Additionally, as it is within the Revolutionary Courts’ jurisdiction, there is considerable subjectivity in the judgements made in the cases.