Group Hanging of at Least 5 Men in Shiraz

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least five men were hanged in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 26 November 2025. Two of the men were sentenced to death on drug-related charges. Their identities have been established as Hamid Yousefzehi (right photo), a 37-year-old Baluch man from the village of Tabasin in Nohbandan, and 39-year-old Naser Karbakhsh from Dargaz. Hamid was arrested while entering Shiraz around four years ago and Naser was arrested around two years ago.

The other three men were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. Two of the men have been identified as 32-year-old Ahmad Soltani (right photo) from Shiraz and 29-year-old Majid Khakzad from Ahvaz. Both Ahmad and Majid were arrested around four years ago. The third man’s identity has not been established at the time of writing.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ahmad Soltani always maintained his innocence. He was the murder had been committed by someone else but because he was deemed the perpetrator because he was there at the time it took place. Majid was convicted of committing a murder during an fight.”

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 612 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first ten months of 2025.