HRANA– At dawn yesterday, Tuesday, August 26, two prisoners who had previously been sentenced to death on drug-related charges were executed in Birjand Prison.

HRANA has confirmed the identity of one of the prisoners as Behzad Navabi, a native of Kerman, who had been arrested on drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

Additionally, Haal Vsh, a human rights organization covering news in southeastern Iran, identified the second prisoner as Asef Rakhshani, 28 years old father of eight children.

According to the report, Mr. Rakhshani was arrested in 2023 on drug-related charges in Birjand County and was later sentenced to death by the county’s Revolutionary Court.

The report adds that yesterday, this prisoner was transferred to solitary confinement in Birjand Prison in preparation for his execution. His execution was carried out without a final visit with his family.

As of the time of this report, the executions of these two prisoners have not been announced by prison officials or relevant authorities.

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.