Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 8 November 2026: State media reported the execution of an unnamed man for murder charges in Bam.
On 7 November 2026, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported the execution of an unnamed man in Bam. The exact date and location of the execution were not specified. He was accused of killing his wife in front of his young child and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) by the Criminal Court.
Those charged with the umbrella term of “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) regardless of intent or mitigating factors 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 diya 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. Should the victim’s family choose execution, they are not only encouraged to attend, but also to physically carry out the execution themselves.
According to IHRNGO’s 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 747 people including 48 women, were executed for murder charges, the highest number of qisas executions since 2010. Under 7% of the recorded qisas executions were announced by official sources. In 2025, IHRNGO also recorded 566 cases of families choosing diya or forgiveness instead of qisas executions. In the first ten months of 2026, at least 353 people were executed for murder charges.