Houshang Mohammadkhani Hanged in Yazd

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Yazd Central Prison on 8th March. His identity has been established as 31-year-old Houshang Mohammadkhani from Yazd.

Per informed IHRNGO sources, he was arrested for allegedly being in possession of 70 kilograms of shisheh(methamphetamines) and heroine two years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Yazd Revolutionary Court.

Houshang Mohammadkhani was executed without a last family visit.

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 since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2024 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 503 people were executed for drug-related charges, of which only under 3% were announced by official sources. 17% of all drug-related executions in 2024 were Baluch minorities while they represent 2-6% of Iran’s population.

On 10 April 2024, 80+ Iranian and international organisations and groups called for joint action to stop drug-related executions, urging UNODC to make “any cooperation with the Islamic Republic contingent on a complete halt on drug-related executions.”