Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 12, 2024: Ahmad Alizadeh, a man on death row for murder, has been transferred to the pre-execution solitary confinement cells of Ghezelhesar Prison. He was previously hanged in April but pulled down and resuscitated at the request of the plaintiffs. He is scheduled to be executed in the early hours of Wednesday, 13th November.
Iran Human Rights considers hanging defendants twice as additional torture and demands the immediate suspension of Ahmad Alizadeh’s sentence.
IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “In addition to the inhumanity of the death penalty, and the lack of a fair trial in this case, Ahmad Alizadeh experienced this cruel and humiliating punishment once, and his re-execution is a crime according to all international standards. We ask the international community, especially the countries that have diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic, to do everything in their power to save Ahmad Alizadeh’s life in the coming hours."
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a 26-year-old man named Ahmad Alizadeh who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, has been transferred to solitary confinement in Ghezelhesar Prison in preparation for his execution. This is while he was previously taken to the gallows in April and hanged but pulled down at the request of the plaintiffs and transferred back to his cell after being resuscitated.
One of his relatives told IHRNGO: “Ahmad has been behind bars for murder since 12 October 2018 when he was 20 years old. On 27 April this year, his sentence was implemented in Ghezelhesar Prison. He was hanged for 28 seconds but pulled down at the request of the plaintiff who shouted “forgiveness, forgiveness” and brought back to life with CPR."
“He was an elite student who never accepted the charges as he had confessed under torture but they want to execute him again tomorrow,” the source added.
Executions are usually carried out in groups on Wednesdays in Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj. The number of prisoners scheduled for execution at the prison tomorrow is very likely higher.
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.