In the early morning of Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the death sentence of Morteza Yousefi, a 41-year-old prisoner from Sangtajen village in Nowshahr, was carried out in Nowshahr Central Prison.
According to reports received by the Iran Human Rights Monitor (IranHRM), Morteza Yousefi was a graduate in physical education and a former champion of Iranian wrestling. He was also a wrestling coach. Previously, he had been arrested for drug-related crimes and sentenced to death by the Iranian judiciary.
He had previously written a letter to Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary in Iran, stating that three judges in his case had requested a reduction in the sentence for this prisoner, and that the death sentence issued by the Supreme Court of the country had been violated.
Shortly after, Hassan Rangraz, the head coach of the Iranian national freestyle wrestling team, also called for the cancellation of the death sentence for this prisoner by publishing an image of Mr. Yousefi’s letter to the head of the judiciary.
Despite the support of athletes and officials in the field of freestyle wrestling for Mr. Yousefi, the judiciary in Iran did not agree, and the death sentence of Morteza Yousefi was carried out this morning in the courtyard of Nowshahr Prison.
Prisoners related to drug crimes are often considered to be from the poorer strata of society and are unjustly sentenced to death in an unfair judicial process. Drug-related crimes should never be punishable by execution according to international laws. Despite this, the number of executions of drug offenders has increased several times compared to the previous year.
