5 Men Hanged for Drug Offences in Isfahan

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison on 16 September 2025. Their identities have been established as 56-year-old Sharif Behzadi (right photo) from Boroujerd and Nour Ahmad Changizi (left photo) from Kerman. Sharif was arrested three years ago and Nour Ahmad, five years ago. They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court in separate cases.

On 17 September three other men were hanged at the prison. They have been identified as Abbas Yazdani from Isfahan, Nadim Ashrafzadeh (middle photo), a 38-year-old Baluch man from Chabahar and Abdolghader Sargolzayi, a 36-year-old Baluch man from Zahedan.

Abbas was on death row for six years. Nadim was arrested on the Naein to Isfahan route around eight years ago and Abdolghader was arrested in Isfahan around ten years ago. They were all 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. At least 426 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first eight months of 2025.