6 Including Woman Hanged for Drug Offences in Mashhad

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, four men were hanged in Mashhad (Vakil Abad) Central Prison on 5 August 2025. Their identities have been established 30-year-old Reza Sarparast, 40-year-old Davoud Najibollahi, 30-year-old Bahman Pirouzeyi and 30-year-old Mohammad Golestani who were all from Mashhad. They were arrested in a joint case four years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

On 30 July, another man and woman were executed at the prison. HRANA News Agency has reported their identities as Mahtab Bayati and Ali Ashraf Khani who were co-defendants in the same drug-related case.

At the time of writing, none of their executions have 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.

Left to right: Mohammad Golestani, Bahman Pirouzeyi, Davoud Najibollahi and Reza Sarparast