Iran | Executions in Semnan, Gorgan, Mashhad

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 6 September 2026: Reza Salimi, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Semnan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Semnan Central Prison on 5 September 2026. His identity has been established as 27-year-old Reza Salimi from Semnan.

He was arrested for the murder of his friend around five 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 mitigating factors 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 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 747 people, including 48 women, were executed for murder charges, the highest number of qisas executions since 2010. Under 7% of the recorded qisas executions were announced by official sources. In 2025, IHRNGO also recorded 566 cases of families choosing diya or forgiveness instead of qisas executions.

Execution in Gorgan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 4 September 2026: Ahmad Haji Hassani, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Gorgan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Gorgan Central Prison on 2 September 2026. His identity has been established as Ahmad Haji Hassani, a 50-year-old father of four from Gonbad Kavous.

He was arrested two years ago and sentenced to death on charges of carrying 8.7 kilograms of shisheh (methamphetamine) by the Revolutionary Court.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 795 people were executed for drug-related charges, of which only 0.18% were announced by official sources. 13% of all drug-related executions in 2025 were Baluch minorities, while they represent 2-6% of Iran’s population.

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.

Group hanging in Mashhad

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 3 September 2026: Omid Rakhshani, Ansar Nami and Nazif Rasoulkhandeh were hanged for murder in Mashhad Central Prison. The executions of Ansar and Nazif, two Afghan nationals, were secretly carried out.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Mashhad (Vakil Abad) Central Prison on 2 September 2026. Their identities have been established as 22-year-old Omid Rakhshani from Mashhad, 52-year-old Ansar Nami and 46-year-old Nazif Rasoulkhandeh who were both Afghan nationals from Taleghan in Takhar province.

Omid was arrested around three years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) murder by the Criminal Court.

The two Afghan nationals were arrested in a joint case around two years ago. Per informed sources, they were accused of killing two individuals with a shovel on a building site. Their executions were carried out without prior notice, depriving them of last family visits.

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

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, September 4-6, 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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