Iran Human Rights (IHR); September 25, 2021: Two Afghan men identified as Ali Morad and Heibat Rouzbi were secretly executed on drug-related charges in Taybad Prison more than two weeks ago. At least 77 prisoners, including a woman, have been executed on drug-related charges in Iranian prisons in 2021.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed on drug-related charges in Taybad Prison on September 8. Their identities have been established as Ali Morad and Heibat Rouzbi, both Afghan nationals.
An informed source told IHR: “They were charged with being armed while carrying the drugs. Heibat Rouzbi had lived in Iran since he was 16 years old and had been arrested for carrying drugs on two previous occasions.”
Despite more than two weeks passing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
An unidentified Afghan man was executed on the same charges and in the same prison on September 20.
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 77 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.