Iran | Executions in Khorramabad, Sabzevar, Yazd, Rasht

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 17, 2025: Yavar Farhadi, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Khorramabad Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Khorramabad Central Prison on 7 December 2025. His identity has been established as Yavar Farhadi, a father of one from Aligudarz. He was arrested around five 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.

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

Execution in Sabzevar

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 15, 2025: Heidar Amiri, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Sabzevar Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Sabzevar Prison on 15 December 2025. His identity has been established as Heidar Amiri, a 32-year-old father to a young child. He was arrested 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.

Execution in Yazd

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 15, 2025: Khalegh Zolfaghari, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Yazd Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Yazd Central Prison on 14 December 2025. His identity has been established as 30-year-old Khalegh Zolfaghari from Yazd. He was arrested for an alleged murder that took place during a street fight three 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 Rasht

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 15, 2025: Ehsan Nadimi and Reza Shakouri, two men on death row for separate murders, were executed in Rasht Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Rasht (Lakan) Central Prison on 15 December 2025. Their identities have been established as 36-year-old Ehsan Nadimi from Bandar Anzali and 50-year-old Reza Shakouri from Rasht.

Ehsan was arrested for allegedly killing another individual over a farmland dispute five years ago, and Reza was arrested three years ago. They were 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.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, December 15-17, 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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