Manouchehr Nikoukhalgh Hanged for Drug Offences in Mashhad

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Mashhad (Vakil Abad) Central Prison on 9 June 2026. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Manouchehr Nikoukhalgh from Saleh Abad in Torbat Jam.

He was arrested around three years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court on drug-related charges along with co-defendant Asadollah Bahreh.

IHRNGO previously reported the execution of Asadollah Bahreh, a Baluch father of one, on 10 June.

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 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 795 people were executed for drug-related charges, of which only 0.18% were announced by official sources. 13% of all drug-related executions in 2025 were Baluch minorities while they represent 2-6% of Iran’s population.

In December 2025, IHRNGO published a report titled “A Village of Graves: Widespread and Systematic Drug Executions in Iran,” which provides an overview of drug laws and documents the systematic violation of due process and fair trial rights in drug cases.