Iran | Executions in Shiraz, Ahvaz, Qom, Zanjan, Arak

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); June 21, 2025: Teimur Pouladvand, Nezam Moradi, Mahmoud Dehghan and Ali Akbar Younesi were executed in a group hanging in Shiraz Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, four men were hanged in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 17 June 2025. One of the men who was on death row for drug-related offences has been identified as Teimur Pouldvand from Aligudarz. He was arrested three years ago.

Two of the men were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. Their identities have been established as Mahmoud Dehghan from Shiraz and Nezam Moradi, a 34-year-old father from Mashhad. They were on death row for six and five years ago respectively.

The fourth man has been identified as Ali Akbar Younesi, a 30-year-old man from Jahrom. He was arrested four years ago and sentenced to death on rape charges.

At the time of writing, their executions have 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. 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 five months of 2025, at least 233 people were executed for murder charges in Iran, per IHRNGO data.

Execution in Ahvaz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); June 21, 2025: Ahmad Nazemi, an Ahvazi Arab man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison on 16 June 2025. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Ahmad Nazemi, an Ahvaz Arab man from Dezful.

He was sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

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 five months of 2025, at least 244 people were hanged for drug-related offences.

Execution in Qom

Execution in Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); June 21, 2025: Hossein Haghverdi, a man on death row for the murder of an IRGC member, was executed in Qom Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Qom Central Prison on 18 June 2025. His identity has been established 33-year-old Hossein Haghverdi from Shahriar.

He was arrested for the murder of an IRGC member four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

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

Execution in Zanjan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); June 20, 2025: Jafar Ezati, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Zanjan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Zanjan Central Prison on 15 June 2025. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Jafar Ezati from Zanjan.

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

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

Executions in Arak

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); June 19, 2025: Davoud Alinejad and Ali Rezaei, two men on death row for drug-related and murder charges respectively, were executed in Arak Central Prison. Ali Rezaei was unable to pay the blood money amount demanded by the victim’s family.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Arak Central Prison on 8 June 2025. His identity has been established as Davoud Alinejad who was arrested six years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

On 10 June, another man identified as Ali Rezaei was hanged at the prison.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ali was arrested for a murder committed during a street fight five years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. He had a six-year-old daughter. The victim’s family had demanded 50 billion tomans (approximately €500,000) as blood money which Ali’s family couldn’t provide.”

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, June 19-21, 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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Oklahoma executes James Pavatt

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