Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 18, 2025: Yadollah Kazemi and Mehrdad Alivand, two men on death row for drug-related offences, were executed in Tabriz Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Tabriz Central Prison on 18 November 2025. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Yadollah Kazemi and 46-year-old Mehrdad Alivand, both Tabriz natives. Yadollah was arrested around three years ago and Mehrdad, around five years ago. They 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 612 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first ten months of 2025.