Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 18, 2025: Nahid Hemati, a woman on death row for drug-related offences, was hanged in Nahavand Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a woman was hanged in Nahavand Prison, Hamedan province, on 15 October 2025. Her identity has been established as Nahid Hemati from Hamedan.
She was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, her execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Nahid Hemati is the 33rd woman execution recorded in 2025 and the tenth to be hanged for drug-related offences. Iran executes the highest number of women globally. In 2024, at least 31 women were executed for drug-related, murder and security-related charges in Iran, the highest number of recorded women executions in more than 15 years.
In January 2025, IHRNGO published a report titled “Women and the Death Penalty in Iran; a Gendered Perspective,” which sheds light on the contemporary experiences of women facing the death penalty, focusing on the discriminatory laws and societal factors that perpetuate their suffering.
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.