Execution of Death Sentence of Nathanel Gharamani, Jewish Citizen

The death sentence of Nathanel Gharamani, a 23-year-old Jewish citizen, was carried out this morning.

The news agency affiliated with the Islamic Republic’s judiciary announced the execution of Nathanel Gharamani (Arvin), a Jewish citizen, this morning.

Arvin Gharamani, a 23-year-old Jewish citizen from Kermanshah, was convicted of stabbing and killing a man following a financial dispute in November 2022 when he was only 21 years old. Hamid Reza Karimi, the prosecutor of Kermanshah, confirmed the execution of Arvin and, noting that he was 21 years old at the time of the murder, stated: “Since his arrest, Arvin has not denied committing the murder, and throughout his detention and trial, efforts by his lawyers to obtain the victim’s family’s consent have been unsuccessful.”

According to Article 310 of the Islamic Penal Code, when a non-Muslim commits an intentional crime against a Muslim, retribution is established; however, if a Muslim commits a crime against a non-Muslim, retribution does not apply.

The Iran Human Rights Organization, following Arvin’s arrest for intentional murder, wrote according to a report from one of his relatives: “When Arvin was attacked with a cold weapon by the victim, he took the weapon from him and defended himself. After that person was wounded, he also tried to save his life.” The Human Rights Organization also stated, according to reports from his relatives, that Arvin had court-appointed counsel who did not provide effective defense for him, and the issue of “legitimate self-defense” was not raised in his case either.

The Iran Human Rights Organization, in May of this year (2024), in addition to emphasizing Arvin’s transfer to quarantine ward, warned about his execution. It also announced on June 4 that Nathanel Gharamani’s request for retrial had been rejected by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic.

The execution of Nathanel, the Jewish citizen, especially coinciding with tensions due to the war between Israel and Iran, generated considerable reactions. Israeli media have also, over the past two years, shown reactions regarding Arvin Gharamani’s conviction and death sentence.

The newspaper “Maariv” on Monday, November 4 (November 25), confirmed the execution of his death sentence. The newspaper also wrote about his execution: “The family of the victim, named Amir Shakeri, 40 years old, refused to accept money that had been collected by Arvin’s family and opponents of the death sentence on his behalf, and insisted on his execution. Sonia Sadati, Arvin’s mother, at the time of the initial death sentence, had requested human rights organizations to help free her son from the death sentence.”

Reports published regarding Arvin’s death sentence previously indicated that in addition to Arvin’s relatives, opponents of the death sentence in Iran had also made many proposals to Amir Shakeri’s family, other than paying a large sum of money. They had announced their willingness to build a mosque, school, and places to preserve the name of Amir Shakeri, but his family was not willing to grant consent.

The Iran Human Rights Organization based in Norway also, in response to Arvin Gharamani’s execution, stated: “The Islamic Republic of Iran, in addition to Nathanel Gharamani, has executed 166 people in the past month. Jamshid Sharmahd, a German citizen living in America, was also among those executed last month.”