Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); May 22, 2022: Ayat Ghasemi-Delfani who was sentenced to death for drug offences and murder, has been executed for the drug-related charges in Karaj Penitentiary.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Karaj Penitentiary on May 18. His identity has been established as Ayat Ghasemi-Delfani who was sentenced to death for drug-related offences and later also sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for a murder.
Informed sources have told Iran Human Rights that the qisas sentence was for a murder committed in prison but he was executed for the drug-related charges.
Ayat Ghasemi-Delfani was transferred from Rajai Shahr Prison to Karaj Penitentiary the day prior to his execution.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
According to reports compiled by Iran Human Rights, at least 126 people were executed on drug-related charges in 2021, a fivefold increase compared to drug executions in the previous three years. None of the 2021 drug-related executions were reported by official sources.