Iran | Executions in Bushehr, Karaj, Aligudarz, Qom, Ahvaz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 4, 2025: State media reported the execution of an unidentified Afghan man for the murder of a policeman in Bushehr Central Prison.

According to Mehr News Agency, a man was hanged in Bushehr (Borj) Central Prison on 4 September 2025. The unnamed Afghan man was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for the murder of a policeman.

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 eight months of 2025, at least 375 people were executed for murder charges in Iran.

Group hanging in Karaj

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 4, 2025: Habib Atayi, Reza Aghajani, Sajad Sadeghi, a man only identified as Naser and two unidentified men were executed in a group hanging in Ghezel Hesar Prion (Karaj).

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, six men were hanged in Ghezel Hesar Prison on 3 September 2025. Four of the men who were sentenced to death on drug-related charges have been identified as: Habib Atayi, 39-year-old Reza Aghajani, Sajad Sadeghi and a man only identified as Naser (surname unknown).

The fifth man who has not been identified at the time of writing was an Afghan national 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.

State-affiliated Rokna also reported the execution of a man only identified as A.F for murder charges. While the report does not specify the exact location of the execution, he appears to have also been hanged in Ghezel Hesar Prison.

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 426 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first eight months of 2025.

Execution in Aligudarz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 4, 2025: Yaghoub Darikvand, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Aligudarz Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Aligudarz Prison, Lorestan province, on 2 September 2025. His identity has been established as Yaghoub Darikvand from Khorramabad. He was arrested 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.

Group execution in Qom

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 4, 2025: Three Afghan relatives named Rouhollah Hakemi (father), Nezam Hakemi (son) and Allahbakhsh Mirjahani (Nezam’s maternal uncle), were executed in Qom Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Qom Central Prison on 3 September 2025. Their identities have been established as 54-year-old Rouhollah Hakemi, his 23-year-old son Nezam Hakemi, and 44-year-old Allahbakhsh Mirjahani, who was Nezam’s maternal uncle.

The three men were Afghan nationals who resided in Karaj. They were arrested two years ago on charges related to more than 100 kilograms of narcotics and sentence 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 Ahvaz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 3, 2025: Amar Hassani, an Ahvazi Arab man on death row for murder, was executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison on 31 August 2025. His identity has been established as Amar Hassani, a 27-year-old Ahvazi Arab man who was arrested three years ago 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.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, September 3-4, 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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