Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 10 February 2026: Rahman Najafi, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Arak Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Arak Central Prison on 8 February 2026. His identity has been established as Rahman Najafi, a Saveh native who was arrested around two years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.
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 697 people were executed for drug-related offences in the first eleven months of 2025.
In December 2025, IHRNGO published a report titled “A Village of Graves: Widespread and Systematic Drug Executions in Iran,” which provides an overview of drug laws and documents the systematic violation of due process and fair trial rights in drug cases.