Hamed Emami and Mohammad Ali Kafashi Secretly Hanged for Drug Offences

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Semnan Central Prison on 15 August 2026. Their identities have been established as 39-year-old Hamed Emami (photo) and 42-year-old Mohammad Ali Kafashi. The two Semnan natives were arrested two years ago and sentenced to death for carrying 26 kilograms of narcotics.

Their executions were carried out without prior notice, depriving them of last family visits.

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 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.