Iran | Executions in Karaj, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Kashmar, Dezful, Ardabil

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 27, 2025: Mohammad Mehdi Adavi and Ebrahim Alizadeh, two co-defendants on death row for murder, were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison (Karaj).

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged Ghezel Hesar Prison on 24 December 2025. Their identities have been established as 30-year-old Mohammad Mehdi Adavi and 23-year-old Ebrahim Alizadeh, both Qarchak natives. They were arrested in the same case around four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

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 diya 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. At least 641 people were executed for murder charges in the first eleven months of 2025.

Executions in Ahvaz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 26, 2025: Habib Amouri and Nasser Jannatpour, two Ahvazi Arab men on death row for separate murders, were executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged Ahvaz Sepidar Prison on 23 December 2025. Their identities have been established as Habib Amouri, a 43-year-old Arab father of one from Ahvaz, and Nasser Jannatpour, a 48-year-old father of one from Ahvaz.

They were both arrested around four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

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

Executions in Isfahan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 26, 2025: Eskandar Bakhshoudeh, Nariman Mohammadi and Taher Bastani, three men on death row for separate murders, were executed in Isfahan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison on 22 December 2025. Their identities have been established as Nariman Mohammadi and Taher Bastani who were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

On 24 December, another man was executed at the prison. His identity has been established as 32-year-old Eskandar Bakhshoudeh from Tehran. He was arrested for allegedly killing another individual during a street fight around three years ago and also sentenced to qisas for murder.

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

Executions in Kashmar

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 26, 2025: Yadollah Almasi and Nemat Khosravi, two men on death row for murder and drug-related charges respectively, were executed in Kashmar Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged Kashmar Prison, Khorasan Razavi province, on 24 December 2025. Their identities have been established as Yadollah Almasi from Kashmar and Nemat Khosravi from Torbat Heidarieh.

Yadollah was arrested four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court. Nemat was arrested two 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 Dezful

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 26, 2025: Emad Asef, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Dezful Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged Dezful Prison on 23 December 2025. His identity has been established as 38-year-old Emad Asef from Dezful. He was arrested around four years ago and 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.

Executions in Ardabil

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 25, 2025: Hessam Norouzi and Mohammad Hassan Sharafi, two men on death row for murder, were executed in Ardabil Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged Ardabil Central Prison on 20 December 2025. His identity has been established as 28-year-old Hessam Norouzi from Khalkhal.

He was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court. He was transferred to the gallows from Ward 1 of the prison.

On 23 December, another man was executed at the prison. His identity has been established as Mohammad Hassan Sharafi from Ardabil. He was arrested around three years ago and also sentenced to qisas for murder.

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, December 25-27, 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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