Ilia Khalifehzadeh, a 20-year-old man from Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, was executed in public on 12 July outside Bukan Prison in West Azerbaijan Province.
He was sentenced to death after being found guilty of raping and murdering six-year-old Niyan Jabraeilpour (Chalabian) from Bukan.
According to state media and judicial officials, the execution was carried out in response to “public demand” and “wounded public sentiment”.
Nasser Atabati, the Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan Province, confirmed the execution to state media, saying: “Following the legal proceedings, the court sentenced the defendant to public execution due to the criminal nature of his actions. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict after an appeal, and the sentence was executed at dawn on Saturday, 12 July, in public, at the request of the victims’ next of kin and citizens, and due to the offence caused to public sentiment.”
Niyan Chalabian was admitted to a hospital in Bukan in January 2025 with severe burns and signs of torture, where she subsequently died. Her death was attributed to “rape” and “torture,” leading to several arrests in connection with the case.
