Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 21 September 2026: Rezvan Asgharzadeh, Zeinab Rajabi and Vahid Vafayi, two women and a man on death row for drug-related offences, were executed in Isfahan Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a woman was hanged in Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison on 13 September 2026. Her identity has been established as Zeinab Jalali, a 46-year-old mother of three. She was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to death on drug-related offences by the Revolutionary Court.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “Zeinab’s husband suffers from a spinal cord injury, and for years they survived on unemployment benefits and state assistance from the Relief Committee. Driven by poverty and desperation to cover her husband’s medical expenses and basic living costs, Zeinab agreed to let her home be used as a drug stash for her brother-in-law. Although she told the truth in court and stated that she was merely storing the drugs for her brother-in-law, the court sentenced her to death, while her brother-in-law was sentenced to only 13 years in prison."
"Zeinab Rajabi’s husband attended court in a wheelchair, testified, and swore under oath that he had been completely unaware of the drugs stored in their home, and that his wife had acted solely for the family's basic survival. Despite his illness, he tried everything in his power to prevent Zeinab’s execution, but his pleas fell on deaf ears, and the sentence was ultimately carried out," the informed source added.
The next day, on 14 September, another woman and man were hanged at the prison. Their identities have been established as Rezvan Asgharzadeh (right photo), a 44-year-old mother of six from Isfahan and Vahid Vafayi (left photo), a 47-year-old father of three from Sari.
Rezvan was arrested over six years ago and Vahid was arrested two years ago. They were also on death row for drug-related offences.
Regarding Rezvan’s case, an informed source told IHRNGO: “On the evening of Sunday, 13 September, Rezvan was transferred from Dolatabad Women's Prison in Isfahan to Dastgerd Prison for the implementation of her sentence. Her case involved two co-defendants whose death sentences had been previously carried out. Approximately two years ago, Rezvan was sentenced to death by Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Hemmatnezhad, a verdict that was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court."
Regarding the family's dire circumstances, the informed source added: "Rezvan’s husband, Alireza Ashoori, was also arrested on drug-related charges approximately eight years ago and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is currently incarcerated in Asadabad Prison and has been granted prison furlough only twice over the past eight years. Prison authorities refused to grant him leave even to attend his wife's funeral and burial. Following their arrests, the government confiscated all of the family's assets, and all six of Rezvan and Alireza’s children are now living under severe hardship with their maternal grandfather.”
IHRNGO previously reported the executions of Houshang Soltani and Abdolrahim Narouyi Rozaneh, bringing the total number of executions at the prison to five on 13 and 14 September.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
The executions of Zeynab Rajabi and Rezvan Asgharzadeh mark the 20th and 21st recorded executions of women in Iran in 2026. In 2025, at least 48 women were executed, the highest number of women executions recorded in Iran in more than two decades. Iran executes the highest recorded number of women globally.
In January 2025, IHRNGO published a report titled “Women and the Death Penalty in Iran; a Gendered Perspective,” which sheds light on the contemporary experiences of women facing the death penalty, focusing on the discriminatory laws and societal factors that perpetuate their suffering.
Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 795 people were executed for drug-related charges, of which only 0.18% were announced by official sources. 13% of all drug-related executions in 2025 were Baluch minorities while they represent 2-6% of Iran’s population.
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.