Ghlich Shokouhi and Vahid Behmaram Executed in Urmia; Fate of Mohammadreza Ghorbanzadeh Unknown

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least two men were executed in Urmia Central Prison on the morning of 10 June. Their identities have been established as Ghlich Shokouhi and Vahid Behmaram who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges in the same case.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “The two prisoners who were co-defendants, both denied being in possession of any drugs. They were convicted of carrying 120 kilograms of drugs but their sentence had been overturned in appeal twice.”

Mohammadreza Ghorbanzadeh was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution along with Ghlich Shokouhi and Vahid Behmaram but no information is available about his fate at the time of writing.

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

According to reports compiled by Iran Human Rights, at least 126 people were executed on drug-related charges in 2021, a fivefold increase compared to drug executions in the previous three years. None of the 2021 drug-related executions were reported by official sources.