Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 31 October 2026: Khalil Gholizadeh and Ardeshir Karimi, two men on death row for drug-related offences, were executed in Zanjan Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Zanjan Central Prison on 27 October 2026. Their identities have been established as Khalil Gholizadeh, a 40-year-old father of two from Takestan and Ardeshir Karimi (photo), a 52-year-old father of three from Zanjan.
Khalil was arrested three years ago and Ardeshir was arrested less than two years ago. They were both 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. In the first nine months of 2026, at least 211 people were executed for drug-related charges.