Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 5, 2025: At least three men named Khalil Alizehi, Sajad Arzandeh and Mohammadreza Hosseinzadeh were executed for drug-related offences in Shiraz Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least three men were hanged in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 5 January 2025. Their identities have been established as Khalil Alizehi (left photo), a 45-year-old Baluch from Zahedan, 48-yer-old Sajad Arzandeh (right photo) and 44-year-old Mohammadreza Hosseinzadeh. They were all sentenced to death on drug-related charges.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “The three prisoners were transferred to the gallows form Wards 4 and 8 of the prison. Sajad and Mohammadreza were arrested for the same case three years ago. Khalil was arrested two years ago. The three prisoners were transferred form Pirbanu Prison to Adel Abad some time 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 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.”