Group Hanging of 3 Drug Co-Defendants in Birjand

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Birjand Central Prison on 21 May 2025. Their identities have been established as Naser Dahar (photo), Ghanbar Ghafari and Noureddin Mohammadzadeh, three Miandoab natives.

They were arrested in a joint case three years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

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. In the first four months of 2025, at least 169 people were hanged for drug-related offences.