Execution of at least six prisoners, including three Afghans, in Ghezel Hesar Prison

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), at least six men, including three Afghan nationals, were executed at Ghezel Hesar Prison on the morning of Wednesday, January 8. Two of the prisoners sentenced to death on drug-related charges have been identified as Salman Bozorgmehr and Reza Azizian.

The identity of another prisoner, an Afghan national who was also sentenced to death on drug-related charges, has not yet been confirmed at the time of this report.

Additionally, HRANA News Agency, which first reported the executions, stated that three other prisoners sentenced to qisas for "premeditated murder" were also executed. One of these prisoners has been identified as Ashkan Piryan, while the identities of the other two, who were Afghan nationals, remain unknown.

The executions of these six prisoners have not been officially announced by Iranian domestic media or government sources at the time of writing.

The number of prisoners executed on drug-related charges has risen sharply and consistently over the past four years. In 2023, there was an 84% increase compared to 2022, when 256 people were executed for drug-related offenses. In 2023, this number reached 471.