Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) 6 February 2026; Ahmad Farhad Heidari, an Afghan national, Saeed Malekian, a Kurdish minority and three unidentified men were executed for separate murders in Ghezelhesar Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, four men were hanged in Ghezelhesar Prison on 28 January 2026. One of the men have been identified as Saeed Malekian (right photo), a Kurdish man arrested around six years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court. The other three men who were also on death row for murder have not been identified at the time of writing.
An Afghan man was also hanged at the prison on 9 December 2025. His identity has been established as Ahmad Farhad Heidari (left photo) from Harat. He was arrested around six years ago and sentenced to qisas for murder by the Criminal Court.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Those charged with the umbrella term of “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) regardless of intent or circumstances due to a lack of grading in law. Once a defendant has been convicted, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.
Crucially, while an indicative diya amount is set by the Judiciary every year, there is no legal limit to how much can be demanded by families of the victims. IHRNGO has recorded many cases where defendants are executed because they cannot afford to pay the blood money. Should the victim’s family choose execution, they are not only encouraged to attend, but also to physically carry out the execution themselves.