Arvin Nathaniel Ghahremani, a 20-year-old Jewish Iranian man, has been granted a last-minute stay of execution, sparing his life for at least another month.
Ghahremani was sentenced to death under Iran’s retributive justice system, “Qisas,” for killing a man in self-defense two years ago. His family and international human rights organizations had been tirelessly working to commute his sentence, and their efforts finally paid off on Sunday.
Ghahremani’s case highlights the discriminatory nature of Iran’s judicial system, where minority groups face harsher punishments.
Iranian Justice System Grants Temporary Mercy to Jewish Man Sentenced to Death
Under Iranian law, if a non-Muslim kills a Muslim, the death sentence can be applied, but if a Muslim kills a non-Muslim, no punishment is handed down. This has led human rights experts to criticize the law for unfairly targeting minority groups.
The stay of execution comes after extensive efforts by Ghahremani’s family and international organizations, including the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group and Jewish-Iranian lawyers in the US.
A voice recording of Ghahremani’s mother pleading for her son’s life had also been circulated, and an appeal for international intervention was sent to several countries. The reason for the postponement is unclear, and it is unknown whether the family of the deceased has agreed to commute the sentence.
Ghahremani’s case has sparked widespread concern, with prayers being held for him at the Rachel’s Tomb pilgrimage site in Bethlehem. The Jewish community in Iran has faced significant persecution, with the population dwindling from 100,000 before the 1979 Islamic Revolution to below 10,000 today.
Iran’s regime has been openly hostile to Israel and has financially supported terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. Despite this, prominent figures in the Jewish community have intermittently issued anti-Israel statements aligning with the regime’s agenda.
