Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 6, 2024: Ayat Abdolfathi, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Ahvaz Sepidar Prison on 2 October. His identity has been established as 52-year-old Ayat Abdolfathi from Karoun who was an estate agent prior to arrest and a father to four children.
He was arrested for drug-related offences three years ago and sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.
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 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 471 people were executed for drug-related charges, an 84% increase compared to 2022 (256) and about 18 times the average of drug-related executions in 2018-2020. In the first six months of 2024, at least 147 people were executed for the charges.
On 10 April 2024, 80+ Iranian and international organisations and groups called for joint action to stop drug-related executions, urging UNODC to make “any cooperation with the Islamic Republic contingent on a complete halt on drug-related executions.”