Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 10 August 2026: Amrollah Dousti and Hojat Khayat, two men on death row for drug-related offences, were executed in Tabriz Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least two men were hanged in Tabriz Central Prison on 9 August 2026. Their identities have been established as Amrollah Dousti, a 40-year-old father of two from Bandarabbas who resided in Tabriz, and Hojat Khayati, a 51-year-old father of three from Tabriz.
They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “Amrollah was arrested two years ago and accused of being in possession of 13 kilograms of narcotics. The other two defendants in the case each received eight-year terms. Hojat was arrested four years ago. He had previously served five and an eight-year terms for drug-related offences.”
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 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.