The Judiciary of the Islamic Republic Executes a Prisoner 'for the Second Time'

A human rights organization reported that the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic executed Ahmad Alizadeh, a prisoner sentenced to 'qisas' (retribution), who had been previously revived after being taken down from the gallows following the forgiveness of the victims' family. Reports also indicate the execution of at least four others in the prisons of Zahedan and Qazal Hessar. According to the Iran Human Rights Organization on Wednesday, November 23, the execution of Ahmad Alizadeh, accused of 'premeditated murder,' was carried out today 'for the second time' in Qazal Hessar prison in Alborz province. Ahmad Alizadeh, 26, had been hanged once in May of this year. However, following the 'forgiveness' of the victims' family, he was 'saved after revival and emergency care' and returned to his cell. In an audio file attributed to Ahmad Alizadeh, which some sources have published on social media, this prisoner stated that he has been in prison since the age of 20 and has served seven years of his sentence. He described himself as a 'remorseful and regretful young man' who had previously been executed for a murder he claimed was an accident. In this audio file, Ahmad Alizadeh emphasized that he went on a hunger strike in protest against his transfer for execution, stating: 'I have one qisas, not a hundred. But every time they take me and execute it, after thirty seconds they revive me and do CPR and bring me back. Deviating from forgiveness is not permissible. This means that when the [complainant] forgives, they cannot return to their previous opinion.' Meanwhile, the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic had previously hanged Mr. Alizadeh on May 8 of this year, but shortly after, 'at the request of the complainants, he was taken down from the gallows and returned to prison after revival and emergency care.' An informed source told the Iran Human Rights Organization that Ahmad Alizadeh was a 'talented student' and had 'not accepted the charge of murder'; however, he was 'forced to confess' against himself under torture. Under the laws of the Islamic Republic, the charge of premeditated murder is not graded, and 'any type of murder, regardless of the severity and motivation of the accused,' leads to the issuance of a death sentence. Additionally, this human rights organization reported on Wednesday that a prisoner named Zakaria Alizahi was executed in Zahedan Central Prison in connection with drug-related charges. The Halosh website also confirmed the execution of this citizen on Tuesday, November 22, identifying him as 27-year-old Zakaria Alizahi. Furthermore, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network announced that the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic executed three other prisoners in Qazal Hessar prison in Alborz province for drug-related charges. In this report, the identities of those executed on Wednesday, November 23, were announced as Mohsen Moradi from Nourabad in Lorestan province, Jafar Rastgar from Harsin in Kermanshah province, and Hamzeh Torkashvand from Kangavar in Kermanshah province, who had been sentenced to death in separate drug-related cases. The Islamic Republic has continuously increased the execution of prisoners on drug-related charges over the past four years. According to human rights sources, the number of executions related to drug offenses in Iran in 2023 has reached 471, which is an 84% increase compared to the previous year. According to Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic carried out 74% of the identified executions in the world in 2023 alone.