Kaveh Asadbeigi Hanged in Zanjan

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Zanjan Central Prison on 23rd February 2025. His identity has been established as 39-year-old Kaveh Asadbeigi who was a heavy vehicle driver prior to his arrest.

He was arrested for drug-related offences on the Zanjan motorway three years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2024 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 503 people were executed for drug-related charges, of which only under 3% were announced by official sources. 17% of all drug-related executions in 2024 were Baluch minorities while they represent 2-6% of Iran’s population.

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.