On May 1, 2024, Anvar Khezri, a death-row Sunni prisoner, was executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj after spending over fourteen years imprisonment.
A source close to his family confirmed the execution and noted that Khezri’s family is traveling to Mahabad for the funeral.
In the same legal case, four other Sunni prisoners—Ghasem Abasteh, Ayoub Karimi, Davoud Abdollahi, and Farhad Salimi—had been previously executed in the same prison.
The case dates back to September 2008 when Abdolrahim Tina, the Imam of a mosque in Mahabad, was assassinated by unidentified individuals. In January and February 2010, Khezri and six other Sunni suspects were arrested in connection to the assassination.
Khezri faced multiple charges during his detention, including enmity against God (Moharebeh), allegedly for sympathizing with Salafism—a charge he consistently denied. After spending fourteen months without resolution, Khezri was moved to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, where he stayed until his transfer to Ghezel Hesar Prison in August of the same year.
Initially sentenced to death by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Mohammad Moghiseh, the verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court. The case was then assigned to Branch 15 of the same court, presided over by Judge Salavati, who reinstated the death sentences for Khezri and six other defendants. This time, the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentences for Khezri and his co-defendants.
