3 Men Executed in Shiraz

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were executed in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 12 December. Two of the men who were on death row for drug-related offences have been identified as Farzad Khorami and Kheirollah Amiri from Kazeroun.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Farzad and Kheirollah were transferred to Adel Abad prison for their execution from Pirbanu Prison three days prior. Farzad was arrested for carrying 70 kilograms of drugs two years ago and Kheirollah was arrested four years ago.

The third man has been identified as 35-year-old Gholamali Roustayi (photo) who was sentenced to qisas(retribution-in-kind) for murder.

“Gholamali was arrested for murder five years ago. He was previously transferred for execution once last year but was returned to his Ward (11) after managing to obtain a last minute extension.”

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 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 471 people were executed for drug-related charges, an 84% increase compared to 2022 (256) and about 18 times the average of drug-related executions in 2018-2020. In the first six months of 2024, at least 147 people were executed for the charges.

On 10 April 2024, 80+ Iranian and international organisations and groups called for joint action to stop drug-related executions, urging UNODC to make “any cooperation with the Islamic Republic contingent on a complete halt on drug-related executions.”