According to HRANA News Agency, a man was hanged in Malayer Prison on 28 July 2025. His identity has been reported as 44-year-old Esmail Hajivand who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.
Another was executed at the prison on 5 August. His identity has been reported as Farzad Yari who was also on death row for murder.
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 seven months of 2025, at least 310 people were executed for murder charges in Iran.
Execution in Nahavand
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 6, 2025: Arash Mohamamdi, a man on death row for murder, was executed Nahavand Prison.
According to HRANA News Agency, a man was hanged in Nahavand, Hamedan province, on 29 July 2025. His identity has been reported as 36-year-old Arash Mohammadi who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Two Executed for Espionage and “ISIS Collaboration”
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 6, 2025: State media reported the executions of Rouzbeh Vadi and Mehdi Asgharzadeh for “espionage for Israel” and “ISIS collaboration” respectively.
Yesterday, IHRNGO drew attention to the list of 67 death row protesters, prisoners of conscience, espionage and blasphemy defendants which included Rouzbeh Vadi.
IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam had stated: “Under the cover of wartime conditions, the Islamic Republic seeks to carry out the execution of political prisoners at a lower political cost. The threat of these executions is serious, and only by increasing the political cost through popular protests and international pressure can they be prevented.” He added: “These sentences have been issued without fair trials and based on confessions obtained under torture, and in addition to violating international laws, they also violate even the laws of the Islamic Republic itself.”
According to the judiciary’s Mizan News Agency, Rouzbeh Vadi and Mehdi Asgharzadeh were hanged at an undisclosed location on 16 August 2025. The two men appear to have been executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison (Karaj).
Rouzbeh Vadi who was around 40 years old, was arrested 18 months ago and sentenced to death for “espionage for Israel” by the Revolutionary Court. Rouzbeh was working as a nuclear expert at the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran at the time of his arrest.
Mehdi Asgharzadeh was a 35-year-old man from Javanroud in Kermanshah province. He was sentenced to death on charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) through extensive activity in the terrorist and takfiri group ISIS and action against national security.
Hengaw human rights organisation previously reported Mehdi’s transfer from Kermanshah Central Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison. According to the report, Mehdi was arrested in Javaroud in 2016 after returning from Syria. He was held in solitary confinement in Tehran for two years before being transferred to Kermanshah Central Prison where he was held for the last eight years.
Execution in Saveh
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 6, 2025: Ali Shokat, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Saveh Prison after being unable to pay the blood money.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Saveh Prison on 5 August 2025. His identity has been established as 30-year-old Ali Shokat who was arrested five years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) by the Criminal Court.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ali was also transferred to the gallows two months ago but had managed to obtain a two-month extension from the plaintiffs to come up with the blood money. However, his family were unable to raise the money in time and he wasn’t granted another extension.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Execution in Nour
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 5, 2025: Hamidreza Soroush, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Nour Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Nour Prison, Mazandaran province, on 4 August 2025. His identity has been established as Hamidreza Soroush from Tehran.
He was arrested for the murder of his wife through an acid attack 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.
Execution in Yazd
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 5, 2025: Behnam Samalpour Baba Ahmadi, 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 23 July 2025. His identity has been established as 26-year-old Behnam Samalpour Baba Ahmadi from Fouladshahr.
He was arrested five 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 six months of 2025, at least 293 people were executed for drug-related offences.
Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, August 5-6, 2025
"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde
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