Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 16, 2024: Akram Karimpour, a Kurdish man on death row for drug-related charges, was executed in Hamedan Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a Kurdish man was executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 16 January. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Akram Karimpour from Saqqez.
Informed sources told Iran Human Rights that Akram Karimpour was arrested for drug-related charges three years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.
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 305 people were executed for drug-related charges between 1 January-10 October 2023, a 69% increase compared to the same period in 2022, and the number of drug-related executions in 2023 were close to 20 times higher than 2020.
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 September 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.
At least 6 executions in Karaj
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 14, 2024: At least six men were executed for drug-related charges in Karaj Penitentiary.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least six men were executed in Karaj Penitentiary on 14 January. Their identities have been established as Ahmad Latifi, Ali Akbar Moradian, Akbar Khoramtash, Hadi Nazari, Seyed Ali (Hojat) Miri and Amirhossein Maleki.
All six men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Man executed in Khorramabad
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 14, 2024: Reza Heidari, a man on death row for drug-related charges, was executed in Khorramabad Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Khorramabad Central Prison (Parsilion) on 13 January. His identity has been established as Reza Heidari.
Informed sources told Iran Human Rights that Reza was arrested for drug-related charges four years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Execution in Yazd
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 12, 2024: Nezam Dahmardeh, a Baluch man on death row for drug-related charges, was executed in Yazd Central Prison.
According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Yazd Central Prison on 11 January. His identity has been reported as 48-year-old Nezam Dahmardeh from Zahedan.
Nezam was arrested for drug-related charges in Yazd around three years ago and sentenced to death by the Yazd Revolutionary Court. He was transferred from the general ward on 9 January and visited his family for the last time the day prior to his execution.
At the time of writing, his execution has not 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 2-5% of Iran’s population. Furthermore, at least 274 Baluch people have been executed for drug-related charges since 2021, 40% of all drug executions in that time period.
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