Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 17, 2025: Iraj Aghayi, an English teacher on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Sari Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Sari Central Prison on 13 November 2025. His identity has been established as Iraj Aghayi, a 30-year-old English teacher and language school owner who was from Rasht and lived in Sari. He was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “Iraj was arrested for 7 kilograms of heroin which he insisted belonged to someone else. He maintained his innocence and said: ‘I have a degree and have never even smoked a cigarette in my life. I am innocent of the charges I was convicted of.’”
At the time of writing, his execution has 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 612 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first ten months of 2025.