Iran | Executions in Isfahan, Qorveh, Tabriz, Rasht, Ardabil, Ahvaz, Iranshahr, Kerman, Khorramabad

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 21, 2025: Hossein Karimi, Reza Abbasi, Taleb Reikani and Morteza Sayvand were executed in a group hanging in Isfahan Central Prison. There is no news about the fate of four other prisoners transferred to the pre-execution solitary confinement cells with the executed group.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least four men were hanged in Isfahan Central Prison on 20 August 2025. Two of the men who were on death row for drug-related offences have been identified as 38-year-old Hossein Karimi from Khomeini city, and 40-year-old Reza Abbasi from Najaf Abad. They were arrested four and three years respectively, and sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

The other two men were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. Their identities have been established as Taleb Reikani and Morteza Sayvand, both aged around 35 and arrested for separate murders five years ago. Taleb was from Ahvaz and Morteza, from Khorramabad.

There is no news about the fate of four other prisoners transferred to the pre-execution solitary confinement cells with the executed group.

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. At least 347 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first seven months of 2025.

Execution in Qorveh

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 21, 2025: Amir Mohammad Faroughi, a Kurdish man on death row for murder, was executed in Qorveh Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Qorveh Prison on 20 August 2025. His identity has been established as 26-year-old Amir Mohammad Faroughi, a Kurdish man from Qorveh. from Qorveh.

He was arrested six years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) by the Criminal Court.

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. 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 seven months of 2025, at least 310 people were executed for murder charges in Iran.

Execution in Tabriz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 21, 2025: Naghi Shahi, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Tabriz Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Tabriz Central Prison on 20 August 2025. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Naghi Shahi, a farmer from a village in Tabriz. He was arrested for a murder that took place during a disagreement over farmland three years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) by the Criminal Court.

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

Executions in Rasht

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 21, 2025: Farshad Hamegan and Hossein Mokhtari, two men on death row for murder and drug-related offences respectively, were executed in Rasht Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Rasht (Lakan) Central Prison on 20 August 2025. One of the men who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, has been identified as 55-year-old Farshad Hamegan from Astarawho was on death row for six years.

The second man has been identified as 40-year-old Hossein Mokhtari from Lahijan. He was arrested three years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

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

Execution in Ardabil

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 21, 2025: Mostafa Arjangi, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Ardabil Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Ardabil Central Prison on 19 August 2025. His identity has been established as 28-year-old Mostafa Arjangi from Ardabil. He was arrested for a murder that took place during a street fight four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) by the Criminal Court.

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

Executions in Ahvaz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 20, 2025: Mohamamd Boghlani and Mokhtar Fazeli, two Arab men on death row for separate murders, were executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison. The number of executions recorded by IHRNGO in 2025 has surpassed 800.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison on 17 August 2025. His identity has been established as 38-year-old Mohammad Boghlani, an Arab man from Dezful. He was arrested around eleven years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

Furthermore, another man was hanged at the prison on 20 August. His identity has been established as Mokhtar Fazeli a 32-year-old Arab cattle farmer from Ahvaz. He was arrested around six years ago and also sentenced to qisas for murder by the Criminal Court.

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

Execution in Iranshahr

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 20, 2025: Hafez Siahkhani, a Baluch man on death row for murder, was executed in Iranshahr Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Iranshahr Prison on 19 August 2025. His identity has been established as Hafez Siahkhani, a 38-year-old Baluch man from the village of Shahrderaz in Sistan and Baluchistan province.

He was arrested 14 years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court. Hafez was executed without his family being notified or a last family visit.

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

Execution in Kerman

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 20, 2025: Milad Narouyi (Davoudi), a Baluch man death row for drug-related offences, was secretly executed in Kerman Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Kerman Central Prison on 19 August 2025. His identity has been established as Milad Narouyi (Davoudi), a 30-year-old Baluch man from Zahedan.

He was arrested around three years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court. His execution was carried out without prior notice or a last family visit.

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

Executions in Khorramabad

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 19, 2025: Ali Omidi Moghaddam and Iman Jozi, two men on death row for separate murder, were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Khorramabad Central Prison on 17 August 2025. Their identities have been established as 36-year-old Ali Omidi Moghaddam and 32-year-old Iman Jozi. They were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder in separate cases by the Criminal Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ali was from the village of Doab in Visian and was arrested for a murder during a street fight around seven years ago. Iman was from Visian and arrested five years ago.

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, August 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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