3 Men Hanged in Karaj; Mohammad Koushaki Committed Suicide in Fear of Execution

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison on 25 December. One of the men who was sentenced to death for moharebeh through armed robbery, has been identified as Hamed Pakdaman.

The two other men who wwere on death row for drug-related offences have been identified as Massoud Jalilian and Hossein Mansouri Nasab (left photo).

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Hossein was transferred to solitary confinement 17 days prior to his execution. He only had a brother named Shahab Mansouri Nasab who was executed in Ghezelhesar Prison on 20 May.”

Another man named Mohammad Koushaki (right photo) who was on death row for drug-related offences died by suicide on 24 December.

“Mohammad Koushaki committed suicide because he knew that his execution was looming and died because it took too long to transfer him to the hospital. He is not the same person as the other Mohammad Koushaki who was executed in Ghezelhesar Prison in October.”

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 since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 471 people were executed for drug-related charges, an 84% increase compared to 2022 (256) and about 18 times the average of drug-related executions in 2018-2020. In the first six months of 2024, at least 147 people were executed for the charges.