Mahmoud Farahmand and Rasoul Shahi Hanged for Drug Offences in Zanjan

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Zanjan Central Prison on 18 December 2025. Their identities have been established as 52-year-old Mahmoud Farahmand and 48-year-old Rasoul Shahi, both Tehran natives.

They were arrested in a joint case around three years ago and held by intelligence services in Zanjan for around three months. They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges in by the Revolutionary Court. Their three co-defendants received lengthy prison terms.

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 697 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first eleven months of 2025.