Execution of the Death Sentence for the Killer of Two Environmentalists from Bavanat, Fars

The Chief Justice of Fars Province announced on Tuesday, December 25, the execution of the death sentence for an individual who had killed two environmentalists from Bavanat. According to the government news agency ILNA, Sadrollah Rajai Nasab stated that 'the convicted individual committed the murder of two environmentalists while they were on duty during illegal hunting in the protected area of Darreh Bagh in Bavanat County on June 27, 2022.' This judicial official added that the convict also faced charges of attempted murder of a third environmentalist. According to this judicial authority, the primary sentence of the convict was issued for two counts of death penalty in the third branch of the Criminal Court of Fars Province, and the sentence was confirmed by the sixth branch of the Supreme Court after the defendant's lawyer filed an appeal. Rajai Nasab claimed that the execution of the death sentence 'was carried out after all legal procedures were completed and the execution authorization was obtained from the head of the judiciary,' and 'the death sentence for the killer of the Bavanat environmentalists was executed this morning.' Numerous reports from human rights organizations indicate that multiple news stories about the execution of citizens by the judiciary of Fars Province are published weekly. The issuance and execution of death sentences under the title of 'Qisas Nafs' (retribution in kind) in the Islamic Republic of Iran occurs under conditions where, according to government laws, murder is not graded, and 'any type of murder, regardless of severity and motive, leads to the issuance of a death sentence.' According to the World Organization for the Information on Executions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the highest number of executions in the world, with 882 executions recorded from the beginning of the current year until November 30. Political prisoners who are members of the 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign have repeatedly emphasized that the issuance and execution of the death penalty by the Islamic Republic aims to instill fear and terror in Iranian society. The lawyer for the 'Ekbataneh Children' case told Voice of America: Adequate investigations have not been conducted. Executions of at least 7 individuals in Sari, Zahedan, and Isfahan. The retrial of Sharifeh Mohammadi; Leila Hosseinzadeh was sentenced to imprisonment and fine.