Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 15, 2025: Eskandar Maleki and Javad Yousefi, two co-defendants on death row for drug-related offences, were executed in Qazvin Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Qazvin Central Prison on 13 October 2025. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Eskandar Maleki and 45-year-old Javad Yousefi, both from Kamal Shahr in Karaj. They were arrested on the Karaj-Qazvin freeway for carrying 60 kilograms of unknown drugs around four years ago. were 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 517 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first nine months of 2025.