According to reports received by Iran International, Dariush Atashafrooz, who was detained at the age of 17 in connection with a killing in Khuzestan and sentenced to death, is now facing the execution order after nearly 16 years in custody at Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz.

An informed source told Iran International that Atashafrooz was transferred to solitary confinement about two weeks ago for the execution of the sentence, but, following follow-ups that were made, the execution was postponed to allow time to seek the victim’s family’s consent.

According to this source, over the past years the victim’s family has not agreed to talks about pardon or settlement and has demanded the execution of the qisas sentence. Efforts to obtain their consent have, so far, been unsuccessful.

Based on the account received by Iran International, Atashafrooz, at the age of 17, had gone to the mountains near a village in Khuzestan to collect honey, where he became involved in a dispute along the way and, during it, committed murder. After the incident, he fled the scene, and after his arrest he was sentenced to death.