Hossein Nasirian and Hassan Ali Shakib Executed in Shiraz

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on 8 August. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Hossein Nasirian from Kazeroun and Hassan Ali Shakib from Arsanjan who were sentenced to death for drug-related by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Hossein Nasirian was arrested around three years ago and sentenced to death. He was a caretaker at a factory prior to arrest. Hassan Ali Shakib was arrested for carrying 85 kilograms of methamphetamine around two years ago.”

Another prisoner was transferred for execution along with the two men but was returned to his cell after obtaining an extension in his murder case.

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

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years. At least 206 people were executed for drug-related charges in the first six months of 2023, a 126% rise compared to the same period in 2022 when 91 were executed. 40 people were executed in the same period in 2021.

The number of drug executions dramatically dropped in 2018 following a 2017 Amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Laws. Consequently, drug executions ranged between 24-30 per annum between 2018-2020. The Amendment was reversed in practice in 2021 when executions increased ten-fold to 126 in 2021 and doubled again in 2022 with 256 drug-related executions.