Shahram Manafzadeh and Farhad Abdoli Hanged in Tabriz

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed for rape charges in Tabriz Central Prison on 9 February 2025. Their identities have been established 33-year-old Shahram Manafzadeh and 29-year-old Farhad Abdoli who were both craftsmen who worked in a milling workshop.

They were sentenced to death for rape charges in a joint case.

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

In cases of rape, there is a high chance of defendants being tortured to make false confessions, which is used to issue death sentences. Iran is one of the few countries in the world that issues the death penalty for rape. A lot of cases are also rushed without the defendants having access to a lawyer.

According to the 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 20 people were executed for rape charges in 2022 compared to 23 in 2022 and 10 in 2021.