Exclusive; Arvin Ghahramani's Family, Jewish Youth, Was Unaware of His Execution

Voice of America has obtained documents indicating that the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic did not inform the family of Arvin Ghahramani and his defense lawyers about the execution of this Jewish youth. The judiciary executed Arvin Ghahramani, who was accused of 'premeditated murder' in a street brawl at the age of 18, early on Monday, November 5, in Kermanshah. He was the first Jewish individual executed by the Islamic Republic in the past 30 years. Human rights activists consider the handling of Arvin Ghahramani's case to be unjust and tainted by anti-Semitism. A source based in the United States sent a letter to the English section of Voice of America, indicating that Payman Saket-Khoo, Arvin Ghahramani's lawyer, wrote one day after his client's execution that Arvin was executed without the knowledge of his family or defense lawyers. According to this letter, Saket-Khoo emphasized that he made every effort to overturn the sentence, but the victim's family, rejecting financial compensation, demanded the execution of Arvin Ghahramani. A memorial service for Arvin Ghahramani was held on Wednesday, November 7, at the Alliance Synagogue in Kermanshah. Kermanshah hosts one of the smallest Jewish communities in Iran. The annual report by the U.S. Department of State on international religious freedom, published in June 2024, cites the Tehran Jewish Committee, stating that about 9,000 Jews reside in Iran. The execution of Arvin Ghahramani sparked widespread reactions. George Harounian, an Iranian-American human rights activist, told Voice of America: 'The execution of Ghahramani without informing the family reflects the regime's cruelty.' The official Israeli account in Persian on the social media platform X reacted to this action by stating: 'The Islamic Republic regime has once again shown the world that it is nothing but a criminal and bloodthirsty cult.' Additionally, some Iranian users on social media described the execution of this Jewish citizen by the judiciary in Iran as 'revenge against Israel' and indicative of the 'unspeakable humiliation' of the Islamic Republic due to its inability to confront Israel. Mahmoud Amiri Moghaddam, director of the Iran Human Rights Organization, wrote in this regard: 'Amid the clamor of threats of war with Israel, the Islamic Republic also executed Arvin Ghahramani, an Iranian Jewish citizen, today.' In the past month, the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic have executed at least 161 prisoners in various regions of Iran, which represents a 100% increase compared to the previous month. According to Amnesty International, 74% of recorded executions worldwide last year were carried out by the Islamic Republic. Reactions to the execution of a Jewish citizen: 'The regime's humiliation' and 'revenge' against Israel. The execution of Arvin Ghahramani, an Iranian Jew, despite the efforts of the Jewish community. Warning 'Tuesdays No to Execution'; the possibility of a death sentence for the accused in 'Ekbatane'.