At Least 3 Men Hanged in Yazd

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least three men were hanged in Yazd Central Prison on 22nd January 2025. Their identities have been established as 30-year-old Naser Zandipour, 28-year-old Nader Minayifar and Ahmad Sasouli (photo), a 30-year-old Baluch man from the village of Sasouli in Zabol. They were all sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Naser Zandipour was arrested for carrying 18 kilograms of methamphetamine (shisheh) and heroine three years ago. Naser Minayifar was on death row for two years.”

“Ahmad Sasouli was arrested five years ago. Ahmad and Nader were transferred from Ardakan Prison to Yazd Central Prison for their executions. None of the three men had last visits with their families,” the source added.

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.”