International Death Penalty News 2022, Issue 24: Iran, Saudi Arabia, United States of America

Iran

On Monday, June 6, 2022, six men were executed in Gorgan Prison.  All were convicted in the same rape case.  Three of the men were identified as Younes Jahantigh, Ali Keykhah, and Ali Lakzayi, while the other three men were not named.  All were arrested about three years ago.  Their executions have not been reported by state officials or the media.   

On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, Khosro Tarek and Kamal Bayanirad were reportedly executed in Ilam Central Prison.  Both were convicted in separate murder cases.  They were convicted and sentenced to qisas, that is, retribution in kind.  

On Thursday, June 9, 2022, Kurdish man Baba Sabzi, was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison.  Baba was 42 years of age.  He was convicted and sentenced to death on drug-related charges.  His execution has not been reported by state officials or the media.  

On Saturday, June 11, 2022, four men were executed in Zabol Prison.  The men have been identified as Esmail (Sakhi) Zarouzehi, 27-year-old Aminollah Barahouyi (Narouyi), known as Mehrollah, 34-year-old Sanollah Bahadorzehi (Narouyi), and Rasam Poudineh.  Esmail, Aminollah, and Sanollah were all convicted on drug-related charges, while Rasam was convicted of murder.  Their executions have not been reported by state officials or the media.   

On Saturday, June 11, 2022, Touraj Keshavarz and Ali Samandarnejad were executed in Zanjan Central Prison.  They were convicted on drug-related charges.  Their executions have not been reported by state officials or the media.   

On Sunday, June 12, 2022, five men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison.  Four of the men have been identified as Fahim Valiollah Dini, Mojtaba Ali Nazar, 37-year-old Ali Akaram Kianpour, and Jomeh Makaki.  Jomeh, along with the fifth, unnamed man, were both Baluch minorities, while Fahim was an Afghan national.  Mojtaba and Ali were convicted of murder and sentenced to qisas, that is, retribution in kind.  The other three men were convicted on drug-related charges.  Their executions have not been reported by state officials or the media.   

On Sunday, June 12, 2022, Mohammad Kiani Dehkiani was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison.  Mohammad was a soldier and killed his commander after the two argued at a shooting range.  He was convicted of intentional murder and sentenced to qisas, that is, retribution in kind.  Iranian law classifies all killings as “intentional murder.”  Self-defense killings and accidental killings are not recognized within the law.

On Monday, June 13, 2022, Vali Mohammad Rigi, a Baluch man, was reportedly executed in Zahedan Central Prison.  Executions are usually carried out by hanging.  Sixty-two-year-old Vali was convicted of murder and sentenced to qisas, that is, retribution in kind.  His execution has not been reported by state officials or the media.  

On Monday, June 13, 2022, 40-year-old Mohammad Hijwan was executed in Jiroft Prison.  His execution was likely carried out by hanging.  Mohammad was convicted of murder and sentenced to qisas, that is, retribution in kind.  His execution has not been reported by state officials or the media.   

On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 12 men were executed in Rajai Shahr Prison.  Six of the men have been identified as 25-year-old Mohammad Shokri, 24-year-old Ali Gholami, Abbas Eskandarzadeh, Amir Jafari, Jamshid Akbari, and Avaz Mohammadi. The other six men have not been identified by name.  All 12 men were convicted of murder and sentenced to qisas, that is, retribution in kind.  Their executions have not been reported by state officials or the media.   

On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, Ali Ranjbar was executed in Bandarabbas Central Prison.  He was convicted on drug-related charges.  Ali, a Baluch minority, denied the charges against him and was allegedly deprived of his right to legal representation.  His execution has not been reported by state officials or the media.   

On Thursday, June 16, 2022, 24-year-old Mohsen Norouzi was executed in Rasht Central Prison.  He was convicted of murder and sentenced to qisas, that is, retribution in kind.   Iranian law classifies all killings as “intentional murder.”  Self-defense killings and accidental killings are not recognized within the law. His execution has not been reported by state officials or the media.   

Saudi Arabia

A court has upheld the death sentence for Abdullah al-Huwaiti, who was allegedly a minor at the time of his crime.  Abdullah is convicted of murder and armed robbery.  He was reportedly only 14 at the time of the crime and 17 when he was sentenced to death.  He is now 19 years of age.  

United States of America

Stephen Friot, a federal judge for the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, recently ruled that Oklahoma’s execution process is not unconstitutional, as many death row inmates were claiming in a lawsuit.  Lawyers for the inmates have announced they plan to appeal the ruling.  Meanwhile, Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Conner has, in response to the ruling, requested that the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals set execution dates for 25 of the inmates who were involved in the lawsuit and have also completed their appeals process.  If the request is granted, it would be the largest mass scheduling of execution dates since 2017.  

Federal prosecutors have announced federal hate charges against Payton Gendron, a gunman who killed 10 Black people in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.  If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.  Gendron also faces state charges, which have a maximum sentence of life in prison, as New York State law does not allow for capital punishment.

A jury in Jacksonville, Florida has resentenced Alan Wade to life in prison.  Alan was convicted and sentenced to death on March 4, 2008, for murdering 61-year-old Reggie and 61-year-old Carol Sumner.  The retired couple was robbed and buried alive on July 8, 2005.  In 2017, Alan’s death sentence was thrown out and he was granted a new sentencing trial.  A jury has now resentenced him to life in prison.  Two others, Tiffany Cole and Michael Jackson were also sentenced to death for their part in the crime.  Their death sentences have also since been overturned.

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