Iran | Executions in Bandar Abbas, Hamedan, Semnan, Borujerd

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); March 19, 2025: Ezatollah Arab, Moein Arab and Abdolbari Jahani, three Afghan nationals on death row for drug-related offences, were executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison.

According to Haalvsh, an Afghan man was hanged in Bandar Abbas Central Prison on 25 February 2025. His identity has been reported as Abdolbari Jahani who was on death row for drug-related offences.

Two other Afghan men were hanged at the prison on 26 February. Their identities have been reported as Ezatollah Arab and Moein Arab, who were arrested at a checkpoint over three years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges in a joint case by the Revolutionary Court.

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2024 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 503 people were executed for drug-related charges, of which only under 3% were announced by official sources. 17% of all drug-related executions in 2024 were Baluch minorities while they represent 2-6% of Iran’s population.

On 10 April 2024, 80+ Iranian and international organisations and groups called for joint action to stop drug-related executions, urging UNODC to make “any cooperation with the Islamic Republic contingent on a complete halt on drug-related executions.”

Execution in Hamedan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); March 19, 2025 Yaser Jahanbani, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Hamedan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Hamedan Central Prison on 16 March 2025. His identity has been established as Yaser Jahanbani from Hamedan who was arrested for drug-related offences 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.

Executions in Semnan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); March 19, 2025: Morteza Kazemzadeh and Mohammadreza Basiri, two men on death row for drug-related offences, were executed in Semnan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Semnan Central Prison on 13 March 2025. Their identities have been established as 30-year-old Morteza Kazemzadeh from a village in Semnan and 27-year-old Mohammadreza Basiri from Shahroud. They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Morteza was arrested for drug offences around three years ago. He was a labourer prior to his arrest and had two children, he couldn’t make ends meet with his wages. He always said ‘I worked so I wouldn’t feel ashamed in front of my wife and children, I wanted to earn money so I could buy a bicycle for my son.’ He tried to sell drugs and was arrested that first time and sentenced to death.”

“Mohammadreza Basiri was arrested four years ago,” the source added.

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Execution in Borujerd

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); March 19, 2025: Hatam Shahpasandi, a farmer on death row for murder, was executed in Borujerd Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Borujerd Prison on 17 March. His identity has been established as 44-year-old Hatam Shahpasandi from Doroud who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Hatam was arrested for the murder of his friend over personal disagreements five years ago. He was a farmer and had one child.”

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

Those charged with the umbrella term of “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) regardless of intent or circumstances due to a lack of grading in law. Once a defendant has been convicted, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.

Crucially, while an indicative amount is set by the Judiciary every year, there is no legal limit to how much can be demanded by families of the victims. IHRNGO has recorded many cases where defendants are executed because they cannot afford to pay the blood money.

According to IHRNGO’s 2024 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 419 people including a juvenile offender and 19 women, were executed for murder charges, the highest number of qisas executions since 2010. Only 12% of the recorded qisas executions were announced by official sources. In 2024, Iran Human Rights also recorded 649 cases of families choosing diya or forgiveness instead of qisas executions.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, March 19, 2025

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

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