Rasoul Shahbazi Hanged for Drug Offences in Qazvin

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Qazvin Central Prison on 21 October 2025. His identity has been established as Rasoul Shahbazi, a 48-year-old father of three. He was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

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