Iran | Executions in Yazd, Tabriz, Isfahan, Sari

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 20 January 2026: Kian Manouchehri, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Yazd Central Prison.

According to information obtained by IHRNGO, a man was hanged in Yazd Central Prison on 18 January 2026. His identity has been established Kian Manouchehri, a 22-year-old Ardakan native arrested three years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Kian was arrested for the murder of a taxi driver when he was 19. During the proceedings, he said the driver had attempted to sexually assault him and that he had killed him in self-defence. Kian, who was transferred from Ardakan Prison to Yazd Central Prison for the execution, stated at his second trial that he was not the killer and that his cousin, who had been present at the scene, had killed the man with a blow from a stone. His cousin denied this, however, and the court, citing the evidence, sentenced Kian to qisas. In his final days, he also told cellmates that he was innocent and had not committed the murder.”

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.

Execution in Tabriz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 19 January 2026: Mohammad Atari and Moharram Sarchemi, two men on death row for murder, were executed in Tabriz Central Prison.

According to information obtained by IHRNGO, two men were hanged in Tabriz Central Prison on 13 January 2026. Their identities have been established as 37-year-old Seyed Mohammad Atari from Tabriz and 59-year-old Moharram Sarchemi, father of four, also from Tabriz.

Mohammad was arrested around five years ago. Moharram was arrested for the murder of his brother-in-law seven years ago. They were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Executions in Isfahan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 19 January 2026: Khodadad Mozafari, Ali Bahman and Hamid Jahangiri, three men on death row for different charges, were executed in Isfahan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison on 6 January 2026. The three men were all arrested three years ago for different charges. Khodadad Mozafari, a 33-year-old man from Taybad, was on death row for drug-related offences. Ali Bahman, an Isfahan native, was sentenced to death for rape. Hamid Jahangiri, a 24-year-old man who was the family’s eldest child and breadwinner, was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

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 697 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first eleven months of 2025.

In December 2025, IHRNGO published a report titled “A Village of Graves: Widespread and Systematic Drug Executions in Iran,” which provides an overview of drug laws and documents the systematic violation of due process and fair trial rights in drug cases.

Executions in Sari

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 19 January 2026: Mostafa Hemati and Abbas Sharifi, two men on death row drug-related offences, were executed in Sari Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Sari Central Prison on 13 January 2026. Their identitites have been established as 47-year-old Mostafa Hemati from Langroud and Abbas Sharifi, a 42-year-old greengrocer from Sari. They were both sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Mostafa was arrested around three years ago for carrying 35 kilogram of drugs and Abbas was arrested around two years ago.

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, January 19, 2026

"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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