3 Men Hanged for Murder and Drug Offences in Qazvin

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Qazvin (Choobindar) Central Prison on 23 December 2025. Two of the men who were arrested on the Zanjan-Qazvin motorway three years ago, were sentenced to death on drug-related charges in a joint case by the Revolutionary Court. They have been identified as 40-year-old Asghar Tavakoli and 35-year-old Ebrahim Tavakoli, both Zanjan natives.

The third man was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. His identity has been established as Mohammad Jafar Babaei, a 52-year-old father to three children from Qazvin. He was arrested for unintentionally killing his friend during an argument over financial issues seven years ago.

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.