Pezhman Saedi, arrested at 18, executed after conviction based solely on relatives' oaths
Hengaw – Friday, June 19, 2026
Pezhman Saedi, a Kurdish prisoner who was arrested at the age of 18 and later convicted of "premeditated murder" through a controversial judicial process based solely on relatives' oaths under the legal doctrine of qasameh (oath-taking), has been executed in Qorveh. News of his execution is being published five months later after Hengaw verified the case.
Information obtained by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights shows that Pezhman Saedi, a 21-year-old resident of Qorveh, was executed in the early hours of Monday, January 12, 2026, at Qorveh Central Prison.
Sources told Hengaw that Saedi was arrested by law enforcement forces in 2022 on charges of "premeditated murder" and was subsequently imprisoned while still an 18-year-old young man.
Hengaw has learned that despite the absence of compelling and verifiable evidence, such as a confession, testimony from credible witnesses, or conclusive forensic or digital evidence, the Criminal Court of Kurdistan Province convicted and sentenced him to death solely on the basis of qasameh, a procedure in which relatives of the complainant swear oaths attributing the crime to the accused. The verdict was later upheld in full by the Supreme Court.
Saedi spent three years of his imprisonment in the youth ward of Sanandaj (Sine) Central Prison. Approximately one week before his execution, he was suddenly transferred to Qorveh Central Prison for the final implementation of the sentence.
Due to severe security restrictions and widespread internet disruptions in the region in recent months, Hengaw was only able to verify and report the execution five months after it was carried out. Iranian Judiciary-affiliated media outlets have not announced the execution.
Qasameh is regarded as one of the weakest methods of proving homicide under Islamic jurisprudence and Iran's criminal law. In cases where no confession or witnesses exist, it relies solely on suspicion and the sworn oaths of the complainant's relatives. The imposition of a death sentence on this basis constitutes a clear violation of international fair trial standards and the presumption of innocence.
