Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 25 February 2025: Javad Zare, a Baluch man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Torbat Heidarieh Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Torbat Heidarieh Prison, Khorasan Razavi province, on 19 January 2026. His identity has been established as Javad Zare (Kashani), a Baluch father of three from Sistan and Baluchistan province who resided in the village of Salar Abad in Mashhad. He was arrested around five 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.