Two Executed in Isfahan for Allegedly Killing an Officer in Public

Judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic executed two prisoners in public in Fooladshahr, Isfahan, on Thursday morning, July 22. According to the public relations department of the Isfahan judiciary, the execution of these two citizens, named Ahmad Qaidinasab and Sadegh Mahmoudi Baram, was related to the accusation of 'murdering' a police officer during a 'clash' on November 27, 2021. The Isfahan judiciary described these two prisoners as 'notorious thieves from Isfahan with multiple criminal records' who 'robbed people's homes.' The report mentioned the death of a police officer with 'firearm' during the 'clash,' and also referred to 'injuring people' without providing details. Executions in public in Iran have increased in recent months; for instance, on July 7, the judiciary executed Mohammad Ramaz Rashidi and Naeem Hashem Qatali in connection with the 'attack on Shah Cheragh' in public in Shiraz, and previously, on June 18, a prisoner was executed for the 'murder' of two police officers in the coastal park of Daylam in Bushehr province in front of the public. On June 24, another prisoner was executed in Maragheh in East Azerbaijan province 'for preventive purposes' in public. Pegah Bani Hashemi, a lawyer, described this action of the judiciary in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America as a 'heinous punishment' devoid of any deterrent effect on society and having 'permanent adverse effects.' Raha Bahreini, a researcher at Amnesty International, had previously told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic has many people on death row and that global pressure to prevent these executions must increase.