Iran | Executions in Bandar Abbas, Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz, Yazd

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 21, 2025: Abdoljabar Jamalzi, an Afghan national on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Bandarabbas Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Bandarabbas Central Prison on 19 May 2025. His identity has been established as Abdoljabar Jamalzi, a married Afghan man from Bakwah, Farah province in Afghanistan.

He was arrested in Roudan county a few years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges 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 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. In the first four months of 2025, at least 169 people were hanged for drug-related offences.

Execution in Tehran

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 21, 2025: Yasin (Safar) Hosseinzadeh, a man on death row for a murder, was executed in an undisclosed Tehran/Alborz province prison.

According to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, a man was hanged in an undisclosed Tehran/Alborz prison on 21 May 2025. His identity and location of execution were not disclosed. He was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for a murder he was alleged to have committed while attacking the Azerbaijan embassy in Tehran.

IHRNGO has established his identity as Yasin (Safar) Hosseinzadeh who was 56 years old.

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. Should the victim’s family choose execution, they are not only encouraged to attend, but also to physically carry out the execution themselves.

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.

In the first four months of 2025, at least 153 people were executed for murder charges in Iran, per IHRNGO data.

Four executed in Isfahan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 21, 2025: Four men including two Baluch minorities were executed in Isfahan Central Prison. Mohammad Amin Kolsoomi, Mohammad Naeim Daneshi and Jaber Shehkaramzehi were on death row in separate drug and murder cases.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison on 11 May 2025. His identity has been established as Mohammad Amin Kolsoomi who was arrested three years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

Two other men were hanged at the prison on 14 May. Their identities have been established as 35-year-old Jafar Ghorbani from Kashan and Mohammad Naeim Danesh, a 40-year-old Baluch man from Iranshahr county. Jafar was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder and Mohammad was on death row for drug-related offences.

Finally, another Baluch man was hanged at the prison on 21 May. His identity has been established as 38-year-old Jaber Shehkaramzehi from Khash who was also on death row for drug-related offences.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Jafar Ghorbani was arrested four years ago for allegedly killing one of his relatives during a fight over financial debt. Mohammad Naeim was a father of one who was arrested seven years ago. He was executed without his family being notified or a last family visit. Jaber was arrested in Naein around seven years ago. He was transferred to solitary confinement on 19 May and had managed to let his family know. Apparently, his family were on their way to Isfahan and didn’t manage to make the last family visit.”

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

Execution in Karaj

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 21, 2025: Maziar Karimi, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Ghezelhesar Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Ghezelhesar Prison on 7 May 2025. His identity has been established as Maziar Karimi, a 40-year-old man on death row for drug-related offences.

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

Executions in Shiraz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 20, 2025: Alireza Zarei and Mosayeb Farhadi, two men on death row for separate drug-related and murder cases, were executed in Shiraz Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 19 May 2025. Their identities have been established as 29-year-old Alireza Zarei and 27-year-old Mosayeb from Sari.

Alireza was arrested for drug-related offences five years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court. Mosayeb was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

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

Executions in Yazd

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 20, 2025: Mojtaba Mansouri, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Yazd Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Yazd Central Prison on 18 May 2025. His identity has been established as Mojtaba Mansouri, a 44-year-old man from Ardakan who worked in real estate prior to his arrest.

He was arrested three years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, May 20-21, 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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