Group Hanging of at Least 4 Men in Mashhad

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least four men were hanged in Mashhad Central Prison on 27 October 2026. Three of the men were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court on drug-related charges. Their identities have been established as Rasoul Irak (Barahouyi), a 67-year-old Baluch father of seven, Habibollah Mazarzehi, a 30-year-old father of four from Zahedan, and 26-year-old Alireza Afagh from Khalghabad village in Mashhad.

Rasoul was arrested around three years ago, Habibollah was arrested under two years aog and Alireza was arrested around three years ago.

The fourth man was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court. He has been identified as Habibollah Gholami, a 24-year-old conscript soldier.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Habibollah was serving at the Radkan police station. On 12 January 2023, while on leave from military service, he became involved in an incident with a so-called 'honour' motive that resulted in a murder. Habibollah turned himself in to the very police station where he was stationed on the night of the incident.”

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. In the first nine months of 2026, at least 211 people were executed for drug-related charges.

Photos left to right: Alireza Afagh, Rasoul Irak (Barahouyi), Habibollah Gholami and Habibollah Mazarzehi.