Rasoul Atapour Hanged for Drug Offences in Tabriz

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Tabriz Central Prison on 15 June 2026. His identity has been established as Rasoul Atapour, a 71-year-old man on death row for drug-related offences.

IHRNGO warned of his imminent execution on 13 June.

An informed source previously told IHRNGO: “Rasoul had five children and seven grandchildren. Following the death of his wife in the village, he came to Tabriz around 11 years ago to live with his daughter. was arrested nine years ago on charges of possessing six kilograms of narcotics. The drugs were discovered inside a six-metre under-stair shop he rented in the Abbasi neighbourhood of Tabriz (22 Bahman Street), where sold men's underwear and socks. At every one of his three hearings, Rasoul maintained his innocence, testifying that he had never smoked or previously set foot in a police station and that the drugs belonged to his brother-in-law, who had stashed them there without his knowledge. However, his brother-in-law denied this claim and refused to accept responsibility. On Saturday, Rasoul was transferred to the pre-execution solitary confinement cells, and his execution was carried out after a final visit with his children.”

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 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 795 people were executed for drug-related charges, of which only 0.18% were announced by official sources. 13% of all drug-related executions in 2025 were Baluch minorities while they represent 2-6% of Iran’s population.

In December 2025, IHRNGO published a report titled “A Village of Graves: Widespread and Systematic Drug Executions in Iran,” which provides an overview of drug laws and documents the systematic violation of due process and fair trial rights in drug cases.