Davod Mahmoudyar and Behzad Hanifi Executed in Urmia

According to Iran Human Rights, two men were executed Urmia Central Prison on 5 May. Their identities have been established as Davod Mahmoudyar and Behzad Hanifi, both Urmia natives.

They were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

Iran Human Rights previously reported the execution of Faramarz Shakhsi for the same charges at the prison that day. Official sources reported a drug execution in Western Azerbaijan province that day without naming the executed individual. As such, none of the three men have been named by official sources.

According to reports gathered by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), at least 256 people were executed for drug-related offences in 2022, a more than two-fold increase compared to 2021 (126) and ten times more than 2020 (25).