According to the Karoun Human Rights Organization (KHRO), citing a report by Iran Human Rights, “Khalegh Shahriari“, a 51-year-old Arab citizen originally from Ahwaz, residing in Gorgan and the father of three children, was executed at dawn on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Gorgan Central Prison.
According to the report, Shahriari was arrested approximately five years ago on charges of murdering a taxi driver and was ultimately sentenced to qisas (retributive execution) by the Iranian judiciary.
Informed sources stated that his case, which began in Ahwaz and later continued in Gorgan, came to an end with the implementation of his execution after five years of detention. As of the time of publication, Iranian authorities and judiciary-affiliated media had not publicly announced or acknowledged the execution.
Under the criminal justice system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, intentional homicide is not categorized according to factors such as premeditation, whether the killing occurred during a confrontation or spontaneous altercation, the motive, or the surrounding circumstances. As a result, qisas sentences are often imposed and carried out without these factors affecting the nature of the punishment.
The Karoun Human Rights Organization reaffirmed its opposition to the death penalty, emphasizing that the right to life is the most fundamental human right. The organization called for an immediate halt to executions in Iran and urged comprehensive reform of the country’s criminal laws in line with international human rights standards.
