2 Ethnic Minorities Hanged for Drug Offences in Kerman

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Kerman Central Prison on 15 April 2025. Their identities have been established as Yadegar Rahimnejad (right photo), a Kurdish man from Baneh, and Abubakr Shehbakhsh (left photo), a 36-year-old Baluch man from Sarjangal in Zahedan.

Abubakr was arrested four years ago and Yadegar, two years ago. They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges in separate cases.

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 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.