Iran has executed Arvin Ghahremani, a 20-year-old Jewish man, following a fatal 2022 altercation in which he allegedly killed a man over a financial dispute.
Despite international calls for clemency and offers from Jewish and human rights organizations to mediate, the victim’s family refused an alternative to the death sentence, opting instead for “qisas” (retribution) under Iran’s Sharia-based legal system.
Ghahremani had initially been granted a stay of execution in May after significant global advocacy, but his case resumed when attempts to resolve it through blood money or community initiatives failed.
The prosecutor in Kermanshah, Ghahremani’s hometown, stated that he confessed to the crime, noting that the victim had been stabbed multiple times.
Iran’s Dispute Resolution Council, which facilitates out-of-court settlements, was involved but ultimately could not reach an agreement with the victim’s family.
Human rights group Iran Human Rights, based in Norway, linked the timing of Ghahremani’s execution to heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, with director Mahmood Amiri-Moghadam citing both systemic issues in Iran’s judicial process and alleged anti-Semitism as factors influencing Ghahremani’s case.
Ghahremani’s case drew considerable attention from Iran’s Jewish community, who shared details on messaging platforms, and his mother appealed emotionally for support in Farsi messages.
