Iran | Executions in Isfahan, Kerman, Mashhad, Kermanshah

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 22, 2025: Karvan Abdolaziz, an Iraqi national, Yahya Karami, Saman Abbasi, Akbar Faraji and Moslem Naderi were executed for drug-related offences in a group hanging in Isfahan Central Prison. At least 11 Iraqi nationals are currently on death row for drug-related offences at the prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, five men were hanged in Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison on 18 November 2025. Their identities have been established as Karvan Abdolaziz, an Iraqi national, Yahya Karami, a 47-year-old father of two from Aligudarz, 31-year-old Saman Abbasi from Khorramabad, Akbar Faraji and 36-year-old Moslem Naderi.

Yahya and Saman were arrested for “carrying 8.700 kilograms of cannabis and heroin in a joint case two years ago. Karvan was arrested around four years ago. They were all sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

At least 11 Iraqi nationals including Kurdish minorities, are currently on death row for drug-related offences in Isfahan Central Prison.

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 612 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first ten months of 2025.

Executions in Kerman

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 21, 2025: Ali Asghar Izadkhah (Damani), a Baluch man on death row for murder, was executed in Kerman Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Kerman Central Prison on 19 November 2025. His identity has been established as Ali Asghar Izadkhah (Damani), a 27-year-old Baluch man from the village of Ziarat in Mehrestan. He was arrested five years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ali Asghar had gone to Shiraz to work on a poultry farm with his brother, Mohammad Taher, in 2020. On the way back, a fight broke out between them and several others, which led to another individual being killed. He was sentenced to qisas and Mohammad Taher to 25 years in prison."

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 ten months of 2025, at least 568 people were executed for murder charges in Iran.

Execution in Isfahan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 21, 2025: Mahmoud Ghadimi, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Isfahan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison on 4 October 2025. His identity has been established as Mahmoud Ghadimi, a 33-year-old man from Karaj. He was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “The Supreme Court had granted a one-degree reduction in his sentence, but the Isfahan prosecutor, Asadollah Jafari, did not accept this reduction and sent the case back for the implementation of the verdict.”

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. At least 612 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first ten months of 2025.

Execution in Mashhad

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 20, 2025: Mohsen Fakhrayi, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Mashhad Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Mashhad (Vakil Abad) Central Prison on 19 November 2025. His identity has been established as Mohsen Fakhrayi, a 31-year-old father of three from Mashhad.

He was arrested eleven 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 Kermanshah

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 20, 2025: Peyman Azizi, a Kurdish man on death row for murder, was executed in Kermanshah Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Kermanshah (Dizel Abad) Central Prison on 19 November 2025. His identity has been established as Peyman Azizi, a 21-year-old Kurdish man from Salase Babajani. He was arrested two years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Peyman was accused of killing another conscript soldier with a weapon following an argument while he was serving his own conscription.”

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, November 20-22, 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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