A 19-year-old woman was executed in Zanjan Prison

Iran-HRM – Marjan Hajizadeh was only 16 years old at the time of her arrest

On the morning of Thursday, April 11, 2024, the death sentence of 19-year-old Marjan Hajizadeh and her 29-year-old husband, Esmail Hassaniani, was carried out in Zanjan Central Prison. Both prisoners were sentenced to death in a joint case related to drug charges. They were arrested and imprisoned three years ago.

Marjan Hajizadeh was 16 years and 3 months old at the time of her arrest. She and her husband were apprehended on one of the highways in Zanjan. It is important to note that Marjan was unaware that her husband was carrying drugs, and she was innocent of any involvement in the matter.

According to reports received by Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM), Marjan and her husband were residents of Shahin Dezh and lived in Zanjan. Marjan’s father was a laborer and very poor. Marjan was forcibly married to Esmail. She was a victim of child marriage and was only 16 years old at the time of her arrest, which was below the legal age.

Marjan Hajizadeh is the fourth woman to be executed by the Iranian judiciary in the year 2024. The execution of this young couple has not been officially announced by Iranian authorities or reported in the domestic media this report is being published. It has remained silent in terms of news coverage.