HRANA – Amid nationwide protests and the ongoing, widespread internet shutdown in Iran, authorities have carried out the death sentences of at least 17 prisoners in various prisons across the country. The individuals had previously been convicted on charges including murder, drug-related offenses, and moharebeh (enmity against God) through armed robbery.
Based on information received by HRANA, on January 18, Yazdan Mardanpour was executed in Kermanshah Prison; Fereydoun Goodarzi in Aligudarz Prison; Pouya Najafi in Dezful Prison; Bijan Shahrokhi in Khorramabad Prison; Akbar Ganji in Nahavand Prison; Ali Asghar Shahi in Yasuj Prison; and Shiroodeh Maqsoodi in Borujerd Prison. These individuals had previously been arrested on murder charges and were later sentenced to death by criminal courts.
Additionally, Asad Salahshour in Semnan Prison, Eshagh Niazi in Arak Prison, and Sousha Abdi in Hamedan Prison were executed. These prisoners had been sentenced to death on charges related to drug-related offenses.
On the same day, Abdolhassan Yari was executed in the Central Prison of Karaj, along with two other prisoners in Qom Prison, one of whom has been identified by HRANA as Mostafa Kooshki, on charges of moharebeh through armed robbery.
Earlier, at dawn on Saturday, January 17, the death sentences of four prisoners were carried out. Aboutaleb Gholami in Tabriz Prison and Yarmorad Bakhshi in Ardabil Prison were executed on murder charges, while Malek Kavehei in Bandar Abbas Prison and Afshin Akhbari in Qazvin Prison were executed on drug-related charges.
Further details, including the identification of one of the prisoners, are still under investigation by HRANA.
As of the time of this report, these executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.
The continued large-scale implementation of death sentences amid internet shutdowns and severe restrictions on the flow of information has intensified concerns over the lack of judicial transparency, prisoners’ denial of access to fair trials, and the increased risk of violations of the right to life. Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that carrying out such punishments in a security-driven and opaque environment significantly increases the likelihood of serious human rights violations.
According to HRA’s annual report, at least 2,063 people were executed in Iran during the one-year period from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026. This represents a 119% increase in executions compared to 2024. In many of these cases, due to secrecy, prisoners were even denied the right to a final visit with their families.
