Iraj Paaki Executed for Drug Charges in Ardebil

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Ardebil Central Prison on 19 February. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Iraj Paaki from the Kouhsar region of Salmas. He was sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Around six years ago, Iraj was arrested in Ardabil with his friend Omar Khashmani for drug-related charges. In court, Omar was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and Iraj was sentenced to death. He was transferred to solitary confinement from Ward 1 of the prison the day prior to his execution.”

At the time of writing, his execution has 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 305 people were executed for drug-related charges between 1 January-10 October 2023, a 69% increase compared to the same period in 2022, and the number of drug-related executions in 2023 were close to 20 times higher than 2020.

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. On 13 September 2023, IHRNGO reported a 94% rise in the number of drug-related executions in the year following the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in September 2022.