/ IHRights#Iran: Hossein Amaninejad and Hamed Yavari were executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 11 June. Hossein was arrested… https://t.co/3lnMTwFH6z13 Jun

Iran: Four Men Executed on Drug-related Charges

9 May 19
Iran: Four Men Executed on Drug-related Charges

Iran Human Rights (IHR); May 9, 2019: Four prisoners were executed for drug-related charges at Arak prison on April 29, 2019.

IHR can confirm the execution of four prisoners at Arak Central Prison for drug-related charges on April 29, 2019. The news first published by Javaneha Website and IHR could independently confirm it.

The four executed prisoners have been identified as Hamidreza Hosseinkhani, 37; Majid Kazemi, 42; Mohammad Hemmati, 26; and Mohammad Davoudabadi, 26.

A well-informed source told IHR, “Mohammad Hemmati and Mohammad Davoudabadi were at the prison for one year. They were tried under the new Iranian anti-drug law.” 

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.

IHR’s Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran shows that the number of drug-related execution has been reduced from 230 in 2017 to 24 people in 2018. 

Of note, one of the executed men, Majid Kazemi, had spent more than 13 years in prison. 

None of the aforementioned executions has yet been announced by Iranian authorities.