Iran Postpones Execution of 20-year-old Jewish Man

Ghahremani’s judgment appears to be influenced by the preferential treatment of Muslims over Jews, which is common in Iran. 

By Shula Rosen

An Iranian Jewish man who was scheduled to be executed on Saturday was given an 11-hour stay of execution, followed by the decision to postpone the sentence for a full month.

The initial 11-hour stay of execution was secured by Norway-based Iran Human Rights Group (IHRNGO), which pleaded on Friday for a temporary delay, which led to a month’s postponement.

According to Iranian law, the family of a murdered person is allowed to accept financial compensation instead of having the accused executed.

However, in this case, the family refuses to accept any compensation and insists the Jewish man must be killed.

In addition, new details emerged about the incident that led to Arvin Nathaniel Ghahremani’s conviction, and according to experts on Iran’s draconian judicial system, Ghahremani’s judgment appears to be influenced by preferential treatment of Muslims over Jews, which is common in Iran.

According to the New York Post, Ghahremani’, who is Jewish, was working out at a gym in 2022 when he was ambushed by seven men, all Muslim.

Amir Shokri, one of the men in the group, owed Ghahremani money, attacked him with his knife, and was killed by his own weapon.

IHRNGO pointed out that 28 people have been executed in Iran in the last 105 days.

The Jewish man’s family is asking the public for prayers and support for Ervin Netanel Ben Tziona.

The relatively small Jewish community in Iran often has to buckle under pressure to conform.

Experts say Iran’s shrinking Jewish population is “held hostage” by the Iranian government, and issued the statement out of fear local Jews could be targeted for “revenge.”

“The small Jewish community in Iran is held hostage to the whims of the regime,” Alireza Nader, a Middle East affairs analyst for the Rand Corporation, told The Jerusalem Post.

“Any time the regime wants revenge against Israel, it eyes Iranian Jews.”

Iran’s Jewish population, which numbered as much as 150,000 before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, went into decline in the mid-20th century as thousands moved to the newly-established Jewish state and the United States.

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the Jewish population of Iran has fallen sharply, with just 8,000-8,500 Jews estimated to remain in the country.