The parents of Ali Khalili have issued a statement announcing that they have decided to forego the Qesas order that was issued against Ehsan Shah-Ghassemi in return for their son’s death.
Ali Khalili was stabbed during a street altercation with a group of young men that included Ehsan Shah-Ghassemi. Khalili, a Basij member, had stopped the group to demand that they turn off the music in their car.
Basij members in Iran often engage in enforcing public morality in terms of Islamic appearance and behaviour, issuing warnings to people they deem to be violating the code.
Khalili was stabbed in the neck four years ago. Shah-Ghassemi was arrested and served two years in jail. He was finally released after the Shah-Ghassemi family paid the Khalili family 350 million toumans in damages and convinced them to let their son go free.
Khalili died a year later in hospital due to pulmonary infection, and the coroner ruled that his death was linked to the earlier stab wound, which led to the reopening of the case.
The judge announced in June that Shah-Ghassemi was now facing the death penalty in accordance with the Sharia law of Qesas (an eye for an eye).
With the parents now foregoing Qesas, the death sentence is withdrawn and the file is closed.
