Group Hanging of 3 Afghan Relatives for Drug Offences in Qom

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Qom Central Prison on 3 September 2025. Their identities have been established as 54-year-old Rouhollah Hakemi, his 23-year-old son Nezam Hakemi, and 44-year-old Allahbakhsh Mirjahani, who was Nezam’s maternal uncle.

The three men were Afghan nationals who resided in Karaj. They were arrested two years ago on charges related to more than 100 kilograms of narcotics and sentence to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

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. At least 347 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first seven months of 2025.