Hessam Norouzi and Mohammad Hassan Sharafi Hanged for Murder in Ardabil

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged Ardabil Central Prison on 20 December 2025. His identity has been established as 28-year-old Hessam Norouzi from Khalkhal. He was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court. He was transferred to the gallows from Ward 1 of the prison.

On 23 December, another man was executed at the prison. His identity has been established as Mohammad Hassan Sharafi from Ardabil. He was arrested around three years ago and also sentenced to qisas for murder.

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

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 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 2024 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 419 people including a juvenile offender and 19 women, were executed for murder charges, the highest number of qisas executions since 2010. Only 12% of the recorded qisas executions were announced by official sources. In 2024, Iran Human Rights also recorded 649 cases of families choosing diya or forgiveness instead of qisas executions. At least 641 people were executed for murder charges in the first eleven months of 2025.