Iran Executes Jewish Man After Controversial Murder Conviction
Iranian authorities executed 20-year-old Iranian Jewish man, Arvin Nathaniel Ghahremani, on Monday morning at Kermanshah Central Prison. Ghahremani was convicted of murdering Amir Shokri during a street altercation in 2022—a case that has drawn international attention and raised concerns over the fairness of his trial.
According to some accounts, Ghahremani was ambushed outside a gym by Shokri and seven other men, one of whom allegedly pulled a knife on him. In the ensuing struggle, Shokri was killed. Ghahremani’s family and supporters say that he acted in self-defense and that crucial aspects of his defense were overlooked during the trial.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
Under Iranian law, known as “qisas” or retribution in kind, the family of a murder victim can choose to forgive the perpetrator and accept financial compensation, thereby sparing the perpetrator’s life. Despite efforts by Ghahremani’s family and the local Jewish community to offer such a settlement, Shokri’s family declined, insisting on the execution being carried out. There were reports that Shokri’s family faced pressure from authorities not to accept the settlement.
International figures and human rights organizations, including the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group, expressed concerns about the case. Deborah Lipstadt, the US special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, stated earlier this year, “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.”
Ghahremani’s execution had been postponed in May after a global pressure campaign, but Iran’s Supreme Court ultimately denied a request for a retrial. His family claimed that he was not adequately represented by his defense lawyer and that “key errors in the case were intentionally ignored,” according to Iran Human Rights.
Amnesty International reported that Iran executed 853 people in 2023, the highest number since 2015, raising serious concerns about the country’s use of the death penalty.
