Ali Molashamsi Executed for Drug Charges in Zanjan

According to Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Zanjan Central Prison on 18 June. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Ali Molashamsi who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Ali Molashamsi was arrested around two and a half years ago and sentenced to death.”

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

According to the 2022 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, 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).

On 1 June, Iran Human Rights reported at least 307 executions in 2023. May was also reported as the most bloody month in ten years, with at least 142 executions.