Makvan Mouloodzadeh was executed in Iran’s Kermanshah Central Prison at 5 a.m. yesterday morning, according to a report from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).
Mouloodzadeh, 21 at the time of his execution, had been accused of having raped other boys when he was 13. But at his trial, all the witnesses retracted their pre-trial testimonies, claiming to have lied to the authorities under duress, according to the IGLHRC report. Mouloodzadeh also told the court that his confession was made under coercion and pleaded not guilty.
After an international outcry spearheaded by IGLHRC, Iran’s Chief Justice issued an order to nullify the death sentence. But prison authorities went ahead anyway, informing Mouloodzadeh’s family and lawyer after the fact.
IGLHRC is continuing to investigate the facts of this case.