Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 27 August 2026: Ali Asghar Salarzehi, a Baluch man, and Emad Sheikhi were executed for drug-related offences in Yazd Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Yazd Central Prison on 25 August 2026. Their identities have been established as Emad Sheikhi, a 45-year-old father of two from Qazvin, and Ali Asghar Salarzehi (photo), a 40-year-old Baluch father of one from Zabol.
Emad was arrested four years ago and Ali Asghar was arrested six years ago. They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges in separate cases 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.