Group Hanging of 3 Afghan Men in Mashhad

According to HRANA news agency, three Afghan men were hanged in Mashhad (Vakil Abad) Central Prison on 25 June 2025. The identities of two of them have been reported as Pashah (surname unknown) and Ahmad (surname unknown).

They were 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 five months of 2025, at least 244 people were hanged for drug-related offences.

On 4 June, IHRNGO and 83 other human rights organisations and groups issued a statement calling for action to stop the increasing number of Afghan executions in Iran. As the most costless victims of the death penalty in Iran, they expressed “fear that dozens more Afghan nationals will be executed in the coming months.”