Group Hanging of 3 in Shiraz; 4 Others Awaiting Gallows

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 31 July 2025. One of the men has been identified as 46-year-old Abolfazl Alayi (photo), a father of three from Jolfa who was on death row for four years. The other two men who were Afghan nationals have not been identified at the time of writing. They were all sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

Furthermore, four other prisoners are currently awaiting the gallows in the pre-execution solitary confinement cells of the prison. Of those, two are from Ahvaz and on death row for murder, and two are Afghan nationals on death row for drug-related offences.

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 six months of 2025, at least 293 people were executed for drug-related offences.