Iran | Executions in Ardabil, Mashhad, Shiraz, Aligudarz, Karaj

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 28, 2025: Alireza Forouhandeh, 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 23 November 2025. His identity has been established as 23-year-old Alireza Fourhandeh from Pars Abad. He was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Alireza was arrested for the murder of [name retracted by IHRNGO] when he was 18 years old. In court, he testified that the victim was drunk and had attempted to rape him. In self-defence, Alireza had hit him on the head with a stone.”

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.

Executions in Shiraz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 27, 2025: Mina Sadoughi and Farokh Pourfarzi, a couple on death row for drug-related offences, were secretly executed in Shiraz Central Prison. Five other men were previously reported to have been executed at the prison that day.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a woman and man were hanged in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 26 November 2025. Their identities have been established as 41-year-old Mina Sadoughi and 50-year-old Farokh Pourfarzi, a couple from Mohammad Shahr in Karaj. They were parents to a 7, 9 and 11 year old.

They were arrested for carrying 65 kilograms of illegal substances around 19 months ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court. The couple’s execution was carried out without prior notification, depriving them of last family visits.

IHRNGO previously reported the executions of five men, bringing the total number of executions to seven at the prison that day.

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

Mina Sadoughi is the 41st woman execution recorded in 2025 and the 14th to be hanged for drug-related offences. Iran executes the highest number of women globally. In 2024, at least 31 women were executed for drug-related, murder and security-related charges in Iran, the highest number of recorded women executions in more than 15 years.

In January 2025, IHRNGO published a report titled “Women and the Death Penalty in Iran; a Gendered Perspective,” which sheds light on the contemporary experiences of women facing the death penalty, focusing on the discriminatory laws and societal factors that perpetuate their suffering.

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 27, 2025: Mohsen Azizi Farkhani, a man on death row for drug-related offences, 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 27 November 2025. His identity has been established as 47-year-old Mohsen Aziz Farkhani from Mashhad. He was arrested around five years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Mohsen was incarcerated since around the age of 32. He was initially arrested for murder and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind). After ten years behind bars, he was released because his victim’s next of kin agreed to forgo execution. Five years ago, he was rearrested for drug offences and sentenced to death.”

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

Execution in Aligudarz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 27, 2025: Bahman Salehi, 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 on 26 November 2025. His identity has been established as Bahman Salehi, a 30-year-old father of one. He was arrested around three 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.

Executions in Karaj

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 27, 2025: Houshang Norouzi, Javad Sadeghi, Farhad Heydar and Mohammad Hossein Khazayi, four men on death row for separate murders, were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Ghezel Hesar Prison on 19 November 2025. Their identities have been established as Houshang Norouzi and Javad Sadeghi. They were both sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

Two other men were hanged at the prison on 26 November. They have been identified as Mohammad Hossein Khazayi and Farhad Heydar, a 40-year-old Afghan national arrested around three years ago. They were also on death row for murder. Farhad was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution on Monday and visited with his family for the last time on Tuesday.

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

Group hanging in Shiraz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 27, 2025: At least five men including a Baluch minority, were executed for drug-related and murder charges in Shiraz Central Prison. Four of them have been identified as Hamid Yousefzehi, Ahmad Soltani, Majid Khakzad and Naser Karbakhsh.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least five men were hanged in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 26 November 2025. Two of the men were sentenced to death on drug-related charges. Their identities have been established as Hamid Yousefzehi, a 37-year-old Baluch man from the village of Tabasin in Nohbandan, and 39-year-old Naser Karbakhsh from Dargaz. Hamid was arrested while entering Shiraz around four years ago and Naser was arrested around two years ago.

The other three men were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. Two of the men have been identified as 32-year-old Ahmad Soltani from Shiraz and 29-year-old Majid Khakzad from Ahvaz. Both Ahmad and Majid were arrested around four years ago. The third man’s identity has not been established at the time of writing.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ahmad Soltani always maintained his innocence. He was the murder had been committed by someone else but because he was deemed the perpetrator because he was there at the time it took place. Majid was convicted of committing a murder during an fight.”

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, November 27-28, 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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