Mehdi Nourkarami Secretly Executed for Drug Offences in Arak

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Arak Central Prison on August 10. His identity has been established as 37-year-old Mehdi Nourkarami who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Mehdi Nourkarami was arrested three years ago and was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court without a lawyer, because he couldn’t afford one. He was executed without his family being informed and the last visit.”

At the time of writing, his execution has 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. This trend has continued into 2022, with 91 executions recorded in the first six months of 2022, double the number for the same period in 2021 when 40 people were executed.

At least 251 including 6 women and 67 Baluch minorities were executed in the first six months of 2022. This is double the number of executions in the same period in 2021 when 117 people were executed.