Iran | Executions in Khorramabad, Tabriz, Isfahan, Sari, Gorgan, Taybad

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 11 February 2026: Mokhtar Atayi and Bahram Chamani, two men on death row for drug-related offences, were executed in Khorramabad Central Prison. With the two previously reported executions, at least four men were hanged at the prison that day.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Khorramabad Central Prison on 7 February 2026. Their identities have been established as Mokhtar Atayi from Aligudarz and 33-year-old Bahram Chamani from Khorramabad

Mokhtar was arrested around four years ago and Bahram was arrested around two years ago. They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges in separate cases by the Revolutionary Court.

IHRNGO previously reported the executions of Babak Amrayi and his uncle, Mohammad Ghasem Amrayi, bringing the total number of executions to four at the prison that day.

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 Tabriz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 11 February 2026: Biuk Namvarzad and Farhad Karimzadeh, two men on death row for separate murders, were executed in Tabriz Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Tabriz Central Prison on 3 February 2026. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Biuk Namvarzad from Tabirz and 43-year-old Farhad Karimzadeh from Hashtroud.

Biuk was arrested around five years ago and Farhad was arrested seven years ago. They were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for separate murders 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.

Executions in Isfahan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 10 February 2026: Mahnaz Roshani, Mehrdad Siahi and Aref Hashemi were executed in Isfahan Central Prison. Mahnaz Roshani is the second woman execution to be recorded in 2026.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men and a woman were hanged in Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison on 31 January 2026. The woman has been identified as Mahnaz Roshani from Shahin Shahr. The charges against her have not been established at the time or writing.

The two men’s identities have been established as 26-year-old Mehrdad Siahi from Shahin Shahr and Aref Hashemi from Khomeini Shahr. They were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for separate murders by the Criminal Court. Mehrdad was on death row for around two years.

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

Mahnaz Roshani is the second woman execution recorded in 2026. In 2025, at least 48 women were executed, the highest number of women executions recorded in Iran in more than two decades. Iran executes the highest recorded number of women globally.

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.

Executions in Sari

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 10 February 2026: Taha Shirazad and Kazem Farajinejad, two men on death row for 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 10 February 2026. Their identities have been established as Taha Shirzad and Kazem Farajinejad, a 48-year-old father of two. Both men were Sari natives and arrested around three years ago. They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges in separate cases by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Throughout the past three years, Kazem consistently maintained his innocence. He repeatedly stated that the drugs discovered had no connection to him and that one or more individuals had planted the substances inside his car without his knowledge. However, the judiciary, disregarding these defences, issued and carried out his death sentence.”

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

Executions in Gorgan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 10 February 2026: Naser Shahmoradi, Ahmad Borhani and Ali Mirdar, three men on death row for separate murders, were executed in Gorgan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Gorgan Central Prison on 3 February 2026. Their identities have been established as Naser Shahmoradi, a 43-year-old father from Gorgan and 29-year-old Ahmad Borhani. Naser was arrested around six years ago and Ahmad was arrested for a murder during a street fight three years ago. They were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

Furthermore, another man was hanged at the prison on 7 February. He has been identified as 32-year-old Ali Mirdar from Gonbad Kavous. 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.

Executions in Taybad

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 10 February 2026: Morad Azizi and Karim Nazri, an Afghan national, were executed for drug-related offences in Taybad Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Taybad Prison on 29 January 2026. Their identities have been established as Morad Azizi from Taybad and Karim Nazri, an Afghan national from Harat.

Morad was arrested around three years ago and Karim was arrested around two years ago. They were 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.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, February 10-11, 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

Death Penalty News For a World without the Death Penalty

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Iraq executes a former senior officer under Saddam for the 1980 killing of a Shiite cleric

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Florida executes Ronald Palmer Heath

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