Category: News

Two Prisoners Executed in Mashhad for Drug-Related Offenses

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Executions, News
Mashhad, Vakilabad prison, Yashar Haghdoost

HRANA News Agency – The death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted of drug-related offenses were carried out at dawn on Saturday, June 7, in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

The identity of one of the executed individuals, Yashar Haghdoost, has been confirmed by HRANA. He was hanged at dawn on Saturday, June 7, 2025. The identity of the second individual, an Afghan national, is still being investigated.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, both individuals had been arrested on charges related to drug offenses and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, the execution of these prisoners has not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, over 52 percent of executed prisoners had been convicted on drug-related charges. Over the past ten years, individuals convicted of drug trafficking have accounted for 40 percent of all executions. Unfortunately, HRANA’s statistics show no progress in reducing executions for drug-related offenses.

Amputation Sentences for Two Theft Defendants Carried Out in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan

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News, Other
Dastgerd Prison, HRANA, Isfahan

HRANA News Agency – The head of the Judiciary in Isfahan Province has confirmed that the amputation sentences for two individuals convicted of theft were carried out in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan.

According to HRANA, citing ISNA, the punishments were enforced following the completion of all judicial procedures. The individuals were sentenced after their cases were reviewed by the prosecutor’s office, the preliminary court, and the provincial appeals court, with the verdicts ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court.

Asadollah Jafari, the head of the provincial judiciary, did not disclose the identities of the individuals but stated that they had been convicted of participating in both hudud (theft offenses defined under Islamic law) and ta’zir (discretionary punishments under civil law) thefts, as well as related offenses including property destruction and intentional bodily harm.

The implementation of amputation as a criminal punishment has been widely condemned by human rights organizations, as it violates the inherent principle of human dignity. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explicitly prohibits cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishments.

Execution of Three Prisoners in Karaj Central Prison

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Executions, News
Alborz province, Hamzeh Yari, HRANA, Karaj Central Prison, Karim Hemmati, Saman Khorrami

At dawn on Monday, June 9, officials at Karaj Central Prison executed three death row prisoners by hanging.

HRANA has identified the three individuals as Hamzeh (Yaghoub) Yari, Karim Hemmati, and Saman Khorrami. All three had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

One day prior, HRANA had reported that at least three prisoners had been transferred to solitary confinement in the prison in preparation for their executions.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.
In 2024, a total of 191 inmates were executed in Alborz province alone — equivalent to 7 executions per 100,000 people in this small province.

Ongoing Detention of 19 “Yamani” Followers in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Alireza Salim Kaviani, Amin-Akbari, Amir Zohan, Amir Zorami, Emad Eftetahi, Ghasem Hatami, Hamed Nejad-Nik, HRANA, IRGC forces, Mashhad, Mohammad Hossein Nazarnajhad, Mohammad Kazem Fathi, Mostafa Tavana, Reza Ghiasi, Sajjad Rezvan, Seyed Ali Hosseini, Seyed Yahya Tarrahomi, Vakilabad prison, Yamani

HRANA News Agency – Nineteen individuals affiliated with the “Yamani” religious movement, remain in legal limbo in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, one week after their arrest.

These detainees are Amir Zorami, Amin Akbari, Reza Ghiasi, Amir Zohan, Seyed Yahya Tarrahomi, Hamed Nejad-Nik, Emad Eftetahi, Alireza Salim Kaviani, Ghasem Hatami, Seyed Ali Hosseini, Sajjad Rezvan, Mohammad Hossein Nazarnajhad, Mostafa Tavana, Mohammad Kazem Fathi, and five others.

Based on information received by HRANA, these individuals were arrested by IRGC forces while attending a religious gathering.

As of the time of this report, no information has been released regarding the charges brought against these citizens.

Every year in Iran, individuals are arrested merely for claiming a connection to the Shi’a messianic figure, the Hidden Imam. The “Yemeni” movement, led by Ahmad al-Hasan Yamani, operates based on messianic claims related to Mahdism.

Iran’s security apparatus—particularly the Ministry of Intelligence—maintains dedicated divisions tasked with confronting religions, spiritual groups, and ideological-religious communities that do not align with the state’s official ideology.

Reza Ezzat Taj Arrested by Ministry of Intelligence in Oshnavieh

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News, Other
Oshnavieh, Reza Ezzat Taj, اشنویه

HRANA News Agency – On Saturday, June 7, Reza Ezzat Taj, a resident of Oshnavieh, was arrested after being summoned to the city’s office of the Ministry of Intelligence.

According to Kurdpa, Reza Ezzat Taj was summoned via a phone call to the Ministry of Intelligence’s office in Oshnavieh, and was arrested upon appearing at the facility.

As of now, there is no information available regarding the reasons for his arrest, his current whereabouts, or the charges brought against him.

Reza Ezzat Taj, a resident of Shahvaneh village in the Oshnavieh region, has previously faced security-related confrontations and arrests.

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Parivash Moslemi on Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Mahsa Amini, Parivash Moslemi, Qarchak Varamin, پریوش مسلمی

HRANA News Agency – Parivash Moslemi, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been on a hunger strike since Saturday, June 7, in protest against the opening of a new judicial case against her.

Based on information received by HRANA, Moslemi began her hunger strike on Saturday, June 7. The protest is in response to the opening of a new case against her, in which she is charged with “spreading falsehoods.” This charge relates to a time before she had reported to prison to serve her sentence.

A source close to her family confirmed the news to HRANA and stated: “Ms. Moslemi was initially promised conditional release, but was later informed of a new case filed against her. She began the hunger strike in protest against this abrupt change in legal proceedings and the authorities’ broken promise.”

It is worth noting that Moslemi, who suffers from multiple health conditions, had previously gone on hunger strike to protest the lack of medical attention for her condition.

Moslemi had previously been arrested by security forces in April 2024 in the city of Noor and was released three days later from a security detention facility in the city. She was re-arrested on July 7, 2024, after reporting to the Evin Prosecutor’s Office and was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

Moslemi was sentenced by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on August 20, 2024, to a total of three years and eight months in prison. She received two years for “assembly and collusion,” one year for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.”

She was also arrested in September 2023, during the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, by security forces and released a month later from Qarchak Varamin Prison after posting bail.

HRANA’s data from the past decade shows that during this ten-year period, over 2,050 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran prisons have been forced to go on hunger strike in protest of various abuses—including prolonged detention, being held in legal limbo, unfair trials, poor prison conditions, and being held in solitary confinement or alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes.

Prisoner Executed in Arak Prison for Drug-Related Offenses

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Executions, News
Arak prison, Davood Alinejad, HRANA

HRANA News Agency – The death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted of drug-related offenses was carried out at dawn yesterday, Sunday, June 8, in Arak Prison.

HRANA has identified the hanged prisoner as Davood Alinejad. According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Alinejad had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and was later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, the execution has not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

According to HRANA reports, in 2024, only 6% of executions were announced by official bodies or domestic media outlets. Over the past five years, 77% of executions have gone unreported—commonly referred to as secret executions. In some of these cases, the lack of transparency is so severe that the death-row prisoners are denied even the chance for a final visit with their families.

Karim Asghari, a Relative of Varisheh Moradi, Arrested in Sanandaj

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Karim Asghari, Mehraneh Moradi, Sanandaj, Varisheh Moradi

HRANA News Agency – Today, Karim Asghari, the brother-in-law of Vrisheh Moradi, a political prisoner sentenced to death, was arrested in Sanandaj by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence, who reportedly beat him during the arrest.

Based on information received by HRANA, at 1 PM today, Sunday, June 8, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj went to Mr. Asghari’s workplace. After presenting a judicial warrant, they arrested him with physical violence.

A source close to the family confirmed the news and told HRANA: “In recent months, members of Varisheh Moradi’s family—including her sister Mehraneh Moradi and Karim Asghari—have been under increasing security pressure.” According to this source, after Varisheh’s arrest, her family has been summoned multiple times to the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj and has been repeatedly threatened with arrest. The source also reported that Mehraneh Moradi was directly threatened with arrest should she continue to follow up on her sister’s case. She had previously, in 2016, been detained along with Karim Asghari for three months.

The source added: “In recent months, as the family sought to pursue Varisheh’s medical treatment and raised concerns over her being denied visits, Karim Asghari was temporarily detained by plainclothes security forces in front of Evin Prison. He was held in a vehicle for three hours, interrogated, and threatened. The agents explicitly warned that any disclosure of information about the case is prohibited and that media coverage would provoke severe consequences.”

As of the time of this report, there is no information on the reasons for Mr. Asghari’s arrest, his place of detention, or the charges against him.

Varisheh Moradi was arrested by security forces in the outskirts of Sanandaj in August 2023. She was ultimately transferred to Evin Prison on December 26, 2023. In late November 2024, she was sentenced to death by Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, on the charge of baghi (armed rebellion).

Drug-Related Offenses: Prisoner Executed in Tabriz Prison

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Executions, News
Gholi Faramarzi, HRANA, Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted on drug-related charges was carried out in Tabriz Prison.

According to HRANA, citing Iran Human Rights, the execution took place at dawn on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

ran Human Rights has identified the prisoner as Gholi Faramarzi, approximately 50 years old and a resident of Urmia.

According to the report, Mr. Faramarzi was arrested five years ago on charges related to drug offenses and later sentenced to death by a judicial authority.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and responsible institutions have not publicly announced the execution.

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

Hidi Shadikhah Sentenced to Nearly Two Years on Political Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hidi Shadikhah, Oshnavieh, هیدی شادیخواه

HRANA News Agency – Hidi Shadikhah, a resident of Oshnavieh, has been sentenced to one year and ten months in prison by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court II in the city.

According to HRANA, citing Kurdpa, Hidi Shadikhah was convicted on charges of collaborating with an opposition group.

Shadikhah had previously been released from Oshnavieh prison on February 17, 2025, after posting bail. He was originally arrested by security forces on December 31, 2024.

The Oshnavieh resident has a prior history of arrest and legal prosecution in connection with his activism.

While, under Article 302 of Iran’s Criminal Procedure Code, charges such as “collaboration with opposition groups” fall under the jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Court, in some cities these cases are reviewed by criminal courts due to the structural absence or limitations of Revolutionary Courts in smaller towns. Although this practice does not align with the law, it has become common in areas lacking specialized judicial institutions.