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Iran | Executions in Isfahan, Mashhad, Minab

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 27, 2023: Mohammad Vali Jabari was executed for drug-related charges in Isfahan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Isfahan Central Prison (Dastgerd) on 23 September. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Mohammad Vali Jabari who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

Informed sources told Iran Human Rights that Mohammad Vali was arrested around two years ago. He was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution on 21 September and executed two days later.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years. At least 206 people were executed for drug-related charges in the first six months of 2023, a 126% rise compared to the same period in 2022 when 91 were executed. 40 people were executed in the same period in 2021.

The number of drug executions dramatically dropped in 2018 following a 2017 Amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Laws. Consequently, drug executions ranged between 24-30 per annum between 2018-2020. The Amendment was reversed in practice in 2021 when executions increased ten-fold to 126 in 2021 and doubled again in 2022 with 256 drug-related executions. On 13 February 2023, IHRNGO reported a 94% rise in the number of drug-related executions in the year following the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in September 2022.

Two executed in Mashhad


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 26, 2023: Saeed Barahouyi Makaki and Mostafa Khoshaneh, two Baluch men on death row for drug-related charges, were executed in Mashhad Central Prison.

According to Hal Vash, two Baluch men were executed in Mashhad Central Prison (Vakil Abad) on 24 and 25 September. Their identities have been reported as 27-year-old Saeed Barahouyi Makaki and 30-year-old Mostafa Khoshaneh who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges.

Saeed who was executed on 24 September had been arrested in Mashhad around two years ago and sentenced to death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court.

Mostafa was arrested in Mashhad around four years ago and also sentenced to death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. He was executed on 25 September.

At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Ethnic minorities, the Baluch in particular, are grossly overrepresented in execution numbers in Iran. In 2022, at least 174 Baluch minorities including 3 women, were executed in 22 prisons across Iran, making up 30% of overall executions. This is while they represent just 2-6% of Iran’s population. Furthermore, in the first six months of 2023, 20% of the at least 354 executions were Baluch people.

Man executed in Minab


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 23, 2023: State media have reported the execution of an unnamed man for drug-related in Minab Prison.

According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was executed in Minab Prison (Hormozgan province) on 23 September. The unnamed man was sentenced to death for charges of “efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) through armed possession of drug that led to murder of policeman.”

The report states that the defendant had killed a policeman in the course of drug smuggling on 11 April 2023.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, September 23-27, 2023


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