Iran Executions: Man Hanged for Drug Offenses

According to IHR sources, prisoner Abdollah Ghanbarzehi, 29, was executed on April 15, 2019. He was from the Iranian southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.

A well-informed source told IHR, “Ablollah was arrested with 9 kilograms of drugs in the city of Isfahan.” Baluchi Activists’ Campaign published Abdollah’s photos (See below) and mentioned that he was arrested on September 28, 2017.

The new amendment to Iranian Anti-drug law which was enforced on November 14, 2017, includes a mechanism to limit the use of the death penalty and reduce the sentences of those sentenced to death or life imprisonment. The law was retroactive and could potentially save many prisoners’ lives after their case-review process.
The amendment specifies that the death penalty should be limited to those who have been carrying or have used weapons while trafficking, sponsoring or organizing narco gangs and inducting children under the age of 18 or people with intellectual disabilities into such gangs. Those with a prior prison term of more than 15 years would also be excluded from the commutations under the amendment.
Following the enforcement of Iranian Anti-drug law in November 2017, the number of drug-related executions is significantly decreased compared to the past years. IHR’s Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran shows that the number of people executed in 2018 for drug charges, is significantly reduced. 24 people were executed on drug charges in 2018. The number for 2017 was 230. However, there is a risk that a new wave of drug-related executions starts after completing the case review process.