Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); July 30, 2025: Ahmad Mahdavi, Armin Gerayi, Saber Yari and an unidentified man were executed for separate drug-related charges in Shiraz Central Prison. A fifth prisoner named Abolfazl Alayi was returned to his cell for unknown reasons.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, four men were hanged in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 27 July 2025. Three of the men have been identified as Ahmad Mahdavi, Armin Gerayi and Saber Yari. The fourth man’s identity has not been established at the time of writing.
They were all sentenced to death on drug-related charges in separate cases.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ahmad Mahdavi was arrested three years ago, Armin Gerayi, four years ago and Saberi Yari, five years ago. Another prisoner named Abolfazl Alayi who was also on death row for drug-related charges was returned to his cell from the gallows for unknown reasons.”
At the time of writing, none of their executions have 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. In the first six months of 2025, at least 293 people were executed for drug-related offences.