International Death Penalty News 2023, Issue 28: Bangladesh, Iran, United States of America

Bangladesh

A court sentenced three brothers to death for the murder of their father.  The three brothers, Foyez Ullah, Ohid Ullah, and Shahid Ullah beat their father, Abdul Karim, to death on August 26, 2013, after Abdul refused to sign over his lands to them.  Five other family members were also charged in connection with the crime, however, they were acquitted.

Iran

On Thursday, July 6, 2023, Mousa Hakimi was executed in Qom Central Prison.  Executions are traditionally carried out by hanging.  Mousa was convicted on drug-related charges after his arrest about two years ago.  State officials and the media have not yet announced his execution.

On Saturday, July 8, 2023, two men were executed by public hanging in Shiraz, near the scene of their crime.  The two men, Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Naeem Hashem Qatali were convicted of being members of the Islamic State terrorist group and carrying out an attack on a shrine which resulted in the death of 13 people.  Thirty others were injured in the attack.  The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.  Rashidi allegedly confessed to conspiring with the Islamic State to carry out the attack.

On Sunday, July 9, 2023, 32-year-old Farzieh Shokrollahi and Monireh Sayadat were executed in Isfahan Central Prison.  Both women were convicted of murder and sentenced to qisas, that is, retribution in kind.  Sayadat worked as a tailor before her arrest three years ago.  She is convicted of murdering her husband during a verbal disagreement.  Shokrollahi was in prison for about five years.

On Sunday, July 9, 2023, Ebrahim Alizehi, an ethnic Baluch minority, was executed in Zahedan Central Prison.  Ebrahim was convicted and sentenced to death on drug-related charges after his arrest about five years ago.  He leaves behind three children.  His execution has not yet been reported by state officials or the media.

On Sunday, July 9, 2023, 23-year-old Hadi Shahuzehi was executed in Kerman Central Prison.  He was convicted and sentenced to death on drug-related charges.  Hadi is an ethnic Baluch minority, which are overrepresented on death row.  State officials and the media have not yet announced his execution.

On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, two unnamed men were executed in Arak Central Prison.  Executions are traditionally carried out by having.  The two men were convicted and sentenced to death on drug-related charges.  State officials and the media have not yet reported the executions.

On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, 23-year-old Mousa Shehbakhsh was executed in Zahedan Central Prison.  Shehbakhsh, a Baluch ethnic minority, was executed on drug-related charges after being arrested about five years ago.  Iranian law does not recognize differing degrees of murder, such as self-defense versus intentional, planned murder.  All killings are considered intentional murder.  After conviction, the family of the victim is required to choose if they will forgive the defendant, ask for diya (blood money), or demand qisas.  

On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, Bakhtiar Cheraghi was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison.  He was convicted of murder and sentenced to qisas, that is retribution in kind.  Bakhtiar killed Abdollah Veisi, a gold seller.  Iranian law does not recognize differing degrees of murder, such as self-defense versus intentional, planned murder.  All killings are considered intentional murder.  After conviction, the family of the victim is required to choose if they will forgive the defendant, ask for diya (blood money), or demand qisas.   His execution has not yet been reported by state officials or the media.

On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, Fatemeh Yousef Abadi was executed in Rajai Shahr Prison.  Abadi was convicted of murder and sentenced to qisas, that is, retribution in kind.  Iranian law does not recognize differing degrees of murder, such as self-defense versus intentional, planned murder.  All killings are considered intentional murder.  After conviction, the family of the victim is required to choose if they will forgive the defendant, ask for diya (blood money), or demand qisas.  Abadi is the 10th woman to be executed so far this year.  Her execution has not yet been reported by state officials or the media.

On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, 32-year-old Hamed Hosseinpour was executed in Maku Prison.  He was convicted of murdering a friend during a knife fight that followed a verbal argument.  Hosseinpour was sentenced to qisas, that is retribution in kind.  Iranian law does not recognize differing degrees of murder, such as self-defense versus intentional, planned murder.  All killings are considered intentional murder.  After conviction, the family of the victim is required to choose if they will forgive the defendant, ask for diya (blood money), or demand qisas.  State officials and the media have not yet reported the execution.

United States of America

Twenty-four-year-old Patrick Crusius has been sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences on federal hate crime charges.  Crusius pled guilty to charges relating to a shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas in 2019.  Twenty-three people died in the attack and many others were injured.  Crusius chose that Walmart for the shooting due to its predominately Hispanic population.  In exchange for pleading guilty, federal prosecutors agreed to not pursue a death sentence.  Crusius still faces state charges in Texas, which could result in a death sentence.  He has been transferred from federal custody to state custody awaiting his state trial.

Last month, 50-year-old Robert Bowers was found guilty of opening fire at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Eleven people were killed in the shooting, and many more were injured.  Now, a federal jury has also determined that Bowers is eligible to be sentenced to death. As the final part of his sentencing trial, jurors hear mitigating evidence and victim impact statements to determine if he will be sentenced to death or life in prison.

A jury has found Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Ronald Anthony Burgos-Aviles guilty of double murder in Texas.  Now the jury must decide if he will spend the rest of his life in prison, or be sentenced to death.  Burgos-Aviles, a former member of the US Navy, was convicted of murdering his 27-year-old mistress Grizelda Hernandez and their one-year-old child Dominic on April 9, 2018, in Laredo, Texas.  Burgos-Aviles was married at the time he was having an affair with Grizelda.  He became angry when he was served child support paperwork and decided to murder Grizelda and Dominic. 

Forty-two-year-old Jesus Gonzalez is charged with murdering 37-year-old Ashleigh Figearo and 39-year-old Jose Soto in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Now Gonzalez has been charged in connection with a third murder, that of 61-year-old Cynthia McClelland.  All three were killed within 24 hours in January 2023.  Prosecutors have already announced their intent to seek a death sentence.

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