EDITED: Yaser Ghoreishi and Mohammadreza Nikjouyan Hanged for Rape in Ghaemshahr

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 23, 2025: State media have reported the executions of two unnamed men for rape charges at an unspecified location.

According to the judiciary’s Mizan News Agency, two unnamed men were executed for rape charges at an unspecified location on 23 December 2025.

Abbas Pouriani, the Mazandaran province Chief Justice, stated: “This case relates to the crime of rape that occurred in 1401 (2022–2023) in Simorgh County. After the complainant filed a complaint…they were sentenced to death on rape charges by Branch 2 of the Mazandaran province First Criminal Court.”

In cases of rape, there is a high chance of defendants being tortured to make false confessions, which is used to issue death sentences. Iran is one of the few countries in the world that issues the death penalty for rape. A lot of cases are also rushed without the defendants having access to a lawyer. According to the 2024 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 22 people were executed for rape charges across 10 prisons. At least 35 men were hanged for rape charges in the first 11 months of 2025.

EDIT: IHRNGO has established the two men’s identities as Yaser Ghoreishi and Mohammadreza Nikkjouyan and Mizan News Agency later reported the location of their executions as Ghaemshahr Prison. An informed source told IHRNGO: “Yaser and Mohammadreza had gone to a girl’s house with a friend during the holy month of moharram. The third man was the one who raped the girl but he was later released and Yaser and Mohammadreza were executed instead.”