Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 21, 2025: Farshad Hamegan and Hossein Mokhtari, two men on death row for murder and drug-related offences respectively, were executed in Rasht Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Rasht (Lakan) Central Prison on 20 August 2025. One of the men who was sentenced to qisas(retribution-in-kind) for murder, has been identified as 55-year-old Farshad Hamegan from Astarawho was on death row for six years.
The second man has been identified as 40-year-old Hossein Mokhtari from Lahijan. He was arrested three years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
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 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. At least 347 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first seven months of 2025.