Three Men Hanged for Drug Offences in Zanjan

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Zanjan Central Prison on 27 September 2026. Their identities have been established as Fateh Shafiei (left photo), a 33-year-old father of one from Zanjan, 30-year-old Hassan Mehdipour (right photo) from Mianeh and Aref Darousti, a 51-year-old father of three from Karaj.

Fateh was arrested around three years ago, Hassan was arrested for carrying 6 kilograms of morphine and heroin, and Aref was arrested for carrying more than 10 kilograms of shisheh (methamphetamine) and heroin around three years ago. They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

At the time of writing, their executions have 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.