World
Jewish man executed in Iran over stabbing which family claims was in self-defence
Human rights group say the death sentence was motivated by institutionalised antisemitism
November 4, 2024 14:31
Human rights group say the death sentence was motivated by institutionalised antisemitism
November 4, 2024 14:31A Jewish Iranian man was executed on Monday morning in Iran after being sentenced to death for fatally wounding a man, which his family claimed was in self-defence.
Arvin Ghahremani, 20, was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison in the centre of the country after being accused of murdering a man in a street brawl in November 2022.
The judicial process which led to Ghahremani’s death had “significant flaws”, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group.
"In the midst of the threats of war with Israel, the Islamic Republic executed Arvin Ghahremani, an Iranian-Jewish citizen, today,” said IHR director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.
“In addition to this, Arvin was a Jew, and the institutionalised antisemitism in the Islamic Republic undoubtedly played a crucial role in the implementation of his sentence."
#آروین_قهرمانی، شهروند یهودی ایرانی که در ۱۸ سالگی به اتهام «قتل عمد» در یک نزاع دستهجمعی خیابانی بازداشت و به قصاص نفس محکوم شده بود، در زندان مرکزی کرمانشاه اعدام شد. pic.twitter.com/pIGuT1KYSe
— Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) (@IHRights) November 4, 2024
Ghahremani, from the south-western Iranian city of Kermanshah, was allegedly defending himself against a knife attack when he killed Amir Shokri in November 2022.
According to his defence, Ghahremani was working out at a gym, as was Shokri who owed him money.
Shokri stabbed Ghahremani with a knife, leading to an altercation where Ghahremani wrestled the weapon from Shokri and fatally injured him.
“When the victim attacked Arvin with a cold weapon, he took the weapon and defended himself,” said the IHR.
Ghahremani’s family said important details in the lead-up to the stabbing were ignored at his trial, such as his efforts to get Shokri to a hospital and to save his life.
Ghahremani’s family also said “key errors in the case were intentionally ignored” at the trial.
They claimed that his court-appointed lawyer did not effectively defend him and his right to self-defence was not properly presented in the case.
The execution follows a two-year battle by Ghahremani’s family and the local Jewish community to save his life. Since Ghahremani’s arrest in 2022, two appeals were reportedly made by his relatives and rejected.
Under Iranian law, those charged with “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas, or retribution-in-kind. Once a defendant has been convicted, the victim’s family may choose between death as retribution or a cash settlement, diya, and spare the killer’s life.
Arvin Ghahremani’s mother, Sonia Saadati, had appealed for help save her son.
Shokri’s family declined the cash offer and insisted on the sentence being carried out, the Iranian news agency Mehr reported.
A source told IHR that when the victim’s family discovered Ghahremani was Jewish, they rejected the option of a cash settlement.
“Arvin’s religion was initially cited as Shia Muslim in the case and the victim’s family agreed to accept diya but changed their mind and insisted on his execution when they discovered that he was Jewish,” the source said.
Ghahremani’s execution had been set for May, but he received a last-minute stay.
The Islamic Republic executed 853 people in 2023 — the most since 2015, London-based Amnesty International said last month.
Earlier this year, Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, expressed concerns that Ghahremani was not receiving a fair trial because he was Jewish.
“We note with concern that Iranian authorities often subject Jewish citizens to different standards when it comes to determining judgments in cases of this nature,” she said.