Iran Human Rights (IHR); August 4, 2021: Ebrahim Nasirkhah, on death row for drug-related charges, has been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution in Urmia Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution in Urmia Central Prison this morning. His identity has been established as Ebrahim Nasirkhah who was sentenced to death on drug-related charges.
“Ebrahim Nasirkhah was transferred for execution once before in May, but his execution was postponed for some reason and he was returned to his cell,” an informed source told IHR.
His transfer comes just days after Eskandar Zare, Sepehr Abbasnejad and Hamzeh Rezaei were executed on drug charges on August 1 at the same prison.
According to Iran Human Rights’ Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran, at least 25 people were executed on drug-related charges in 2020. However, at least 58 people have so far been executed on the same charge in 2021.
On May 3, IHR published a report on the death penalty in the first four months of 2021 expressing concern at the significant increase in the number of drug-related executions and continues to warn of the continuation of this trend.