Group Hanging of 4 Including Woman in Isfahan

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men and a woman were hanged in Isfahan Central Prison on 22 October 2025. Two of the men who were on death row for drug-related charges have been identified as 42-year-old Habib Haghshenas (right photo) and Saman Talebi, both Isfahan natives. Habib was arrested five years ago and Saman, four years ago.

The woman and third man were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Saeedeh Khodadadi from Isfahan and 29-year-old Abdolreza Gholami (left photo) from Khomeini Shahr.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Abdolreza was held in Kashan Prison where he committed another murder due to his psychological issues. Saeedeh was arrested for the murder of her husband.

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Saeedeh Khodadadi is 34th woman execution recorded in 2025 and the 24th to be hanged for murder. Iran executes the highest number of women globally. In 2024, at least 31 women were executed for drug-related, murder and security-related charges in Iran, the highest number of recorded women executions in more than 15 years.

In January 2025, IHRNGO published a report titled “Women and the Death Penalty in Iran; a Gendered Perspective,” which sheds light on the contemporary experiences of women facing the death penalty, focusing on the discriminatory laws and societal factors that perpetuate their suffering. 

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 517 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first nine months of 2025.