Rostam Hariri Hanged for Drug Offences in Semnan

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Semnan Central Prison on 5 January 2026. His identity has been established as 45-year-old Rostam Hariri.

He was arrested with his brother-in-law around three years ago and accused of carrying 45 kilograms of drugs. Rostam was sentence to death by the Semnan Revolutionary Court while his co-defendants received a ten-year custodial sentence.

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