Group Hanging of 7 in Ghezelhesar Prison

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, six men including two Afghan nationals were hanged in Ghezelhesar Prison on 30 April 2025. Three of the men were on death row for drug-related offences. One of them has been identified as Asghar Vatanparast. The identities of the other two men, one of whom was an Afghan national, have not been established at the time of writing.

Two of the men were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. Their identitites have been established as Hamid Fazeli and 27-year-old Emad Ahmadi.

The sixth man who was also an Afghan national, has not been identified at the time writing. He was on death row for rape charges.

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

With the previously reported execution of Mohsen Langarneshin, seven people were executed in the group hanging at the prison that day.

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. In the first four months of 2025, at least 169 people were hanged for drug-related offences, with 31% being Baluch minorities.