According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Kerman (Shahab) Central Prison on 6 January 2026. His identity has been established as Amir Hamzeh Palangi, a 21-year-old Baluch man from Reigan who resided in Kerman. He was the family breadwinner and took care of his elderly and sick parents.
Amir was arrested at 18, around three years ago, and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) 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 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); January 8, 2026: Moslem Haji Babayi, Mohammad Yarahzadeh and Abdolnour Shabani, three Arab men on death row for separate murders, were executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison on 6 January 2026. Their identities have been established as 39-year-old Moslem Haji Babayi from Ahvaz, 36-year-old Mohammad Yarahzadeh from Ahvaz, and Abdolnour Shabani from Mahshahr. The three men were all Arab minorities and had been sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) by the Criminal Court.
Mohamnmad and Abdolnour were arrested around four years ago and Moslem, around five years ago.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Executions in Karaj
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 8, 2026: Yazdan Allahyari, Hamed Niazi and Omid Nobakht, three men on death row for separate murders, were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least three men were hanged in Ghezelhesar Prison on 7 January 2026. Their identities have been established as Yazdan Allahyari, a 35-year-old father to two children, Hamed Niazi and 30-year-old Omid Nobakht. They were all sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) by the Criminal Court.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “Yazdan was arrested for the murder of his wife around seven years ago. He never accepted the charges and was transferred to the pre-execution cells two days prior to his execution. Omid who was single, was arrested for an unintentional murder during a fight five years ago.”
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Executions in Yazd
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 7, 2026: Kaveh Panahi and Ali Neirang, two co-defendants on death row for moharebeh (enmity against God), were executed in Yazd Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Yazd Central Prison on 7 January 2026. Their identities have been established as Kaveh Panahi and Ali Neirang, two men arrested in the same case around three years ago. They were sentenced to death on moharebeh charges by the Revolutionary Court. It is not clear what offences they were accused of committing.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Article 279 of the IPC defines moharebeh (enmity against God) as: “drawing a weapon on the life, property or honour of the public or causing them terror, in a way that creates an environment of insecurity.” When a person draws a weapon on one or several specific individuals with personal motives, but their action does not have a public element, and also a person who draws a weapon on the public but does not create an atmosphere of insecurity due to their incompetence, they shall not be considered a mohareb (person who commits moharebeh).
Article 281 of the IPC stipulates that “bandits, robbers and smugglers who resort to arms and disrupt the security of the public and roads, shall be considered mohareb.”
Article 282 of the IPC sanctions the death penalty in cases of moharebeh. However, power is granted to judges to impose the alternative punishments of crucifixion, amputation of the right hand and left foot, or domestic exile away from the defendant’s hometown.
Moharebeh charges are used to impose death sentences for a wide range of offences. They include armed robbery and espionage, and they have also been used against political prisoners affiliated with opposition groups, as well as protesters.
Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, January 8, 2026
"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde
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