Afghan National Navab Popalzayi Secretly Hanged for Drug Offences in Bandarabbas

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Bandarabbas Central Prison on 26 August 2025. His identity has been established as Navab Popalzayi, a 26-year-old Afghan national from Farah province. He was arrested around two years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Navab was arrested for charges of carrying shisheh (methamphetamines). He was executed without his family being notified or a last family visit. Prison authorities contacted his family after the execution to collect his body.”

At the time of writing, his execution has 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. At least 347 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first seven months of 2025.