Iran carries out executions of Aref Khoshkar and four other inmates at Qezel Hesar prison

On the morning of 24 July (24 Tir), Iranian authorities executed political detainee Aref Khoshkar at Qezel Hesar prison in Karaj. Khoshkar, arrested during the nationwide protests of late 2022, had been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court for alleged murder of a Basij member and other charges. His family was informed of the execution around 8 a.m., but prison officials refused to hand over his body, which was later moved to the Behesht‑e Zahra cemetery.

At the same time, four other prisoners convicted of murder were also put to death in the same facility, bringing the total number of executions that day to five. One of the newly executed inmates was identified as Abbas Nothari. The other three were sentenced for separate homicide cases, including the killing of a teenager with an assault rifle, the murder of a step‑son, and a complex murder‑for‑hire plot involving a spouse. Human‑rights groups have questioned the fairness of the trials and the adequacy of evidence in these cases.