Two Inmates Executed in Arak Prison for Drug Offenses

On August 6, 2023, Arak Prison carried out the execution of two prisoners who had been convicted of drug-related crimes, according to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists.

HRANA has identified one of the individuals executed has been identified as Arsalan Kazemi, aged 32.

As of the time of reporting, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided any coverage of these executions.

These executions highlight the issue of capital punishment for drug-related offenses. In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran recorded 457 reports concerning the death penalty. Shockingly, approximately 43% of these executions were linked to drug-related charges.