Sajad Azizi and Ebrahim Valizadeh Executed in Miandoab

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Miandoab Prison in West Azerbaijan province on 11 December. Their identities have been established as Sajad Azizi and Ebrahim Valizadeh who were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for a joint murder case.

In an interview with the West Azerbaijan IRIB channel, Jahangir Masoudi, the Miandoab Public and Revolution Prosecutor confirmed the two men’s execution without naming them.

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.