Mojtaba Kian Executed on “Espionage” Charges

HRANA – The Judiciary Media Center announced the execution of Mojtaba Kian, a prisoner accused of espionage and intelligence activities in favor of Israel and the United States. The sentence was carried out at dawn today after being upheld by the Supreme Court.

According to a report by Mizan, Mojtaba Kian was executed at dawn on Sunday, May 24, 2026. The Judiciary Media Center claimed that during the recent war, Mr. Kian had sent information and location coordinates of a production facility linked to the defense industry to a media network affiliated with Israel and the United States. According to the report, after establishing contact with this network, he transmitted the information through a phone number provided to him, and three days later the location in question was targeted and destroyed in an attack.

The judiciary further claimed that the sentence was based on a body of evidence including the “defendant’s confessions during interrogation and trial,” the discovery of a mobile phone and sent messages, and the defendant’s awareness of the nature of the opposing party.

Subsequently, the court, citing the law on the “Intensification of Punishment for Espionage and Collaboration with Israel and Hostile States Against National Security and Interests,” sentenced him to death and confiscation of property on charges of “intelligence activities for Israel and the United States.” Following confirmation of the verdict by the Supreme Court, the execution was carried out at dawn today.

According to the published report, judicial proceedings in the case of Mojtaba Kian were conducted within a very short period by the Alborz Province Judiciary. Less than 50 days elapsed between his arrest and the execution of his sentence on May 24, 2026.

According to data collected by HRANA, alongside the onset of military conflict, the issuance and implementation of death sentences in political and security-related cases have sharply increased, with at least 35 prisoners executed on such charges during this timeframe.

According to HRA’s Annual Report, in 2025 at least 2,063 citizens, including 61 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the sentences of 11 individuals were carried out in public. During the same period, 172 other individuals were sentenced to death.

Execution of Five Prisoners in Various Prisons Across Iran

HRANA – In recent days, the death sentences of five prisoners, who had previously been sentenced to death in separate cases on charges related to drug offenses and murder, were carried out in the prisons of Kerman, Tabriz, Birjand, and Gorgan.

According to a report by Haal Vsh, two prisoners were executed at dawn on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Kerman Prison.

The identities of these prisoners have been reported as Heydar Bamari (Moradkhani), 27, and Mehdi Bamari (Moradkhani), 27, both residents of Dalgan County.

According to the report, the two prisoners had been arrested in 2023 in a joint case on charges related to drug offenses in Kahnooj. After being transferred to Kerman Prison, they were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of the city.

In another report, Haal Vsh announced the execution of a prisoner held in Birjand Prison at dawn on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The prisoner was identified as Younes Barahoui, 29, married, and a resident of Zahedan.

Mr. Barahoui had also been arrested in 2023 on charges related to drug offenses in the Sahlabad area of Birjand County and was later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of the county.

Additionally, the Iran Human Rights Organization reported the executions of two prisoners in the prisons of Tabriz and Gorgan in recent days.

The prisoner executed in Gorgan Prison was identified as Naser Langarani, 42, and the father of one child. His execution was carried out at dawn yesterday. According to the report, Mr. Langarani had been arrested approximately three years ago on murder charges and was later sentenced to death by a criminal court.

The other prisoner, who was hanged in Tabriz Prison on Sunday, May 10, 2026, was identified as Omid Sadeghi Souri, 26.

Omid Sadeghi Souri had been arrested around four years ago on murder charges following a street fight and was later sentenced to death by a criminal court.

The report quoted an informed source as saying: “Since 20 days ago, when the sentence enforcement unit informed him that he would soon be executed, he had been in extremely poor psychological condition. Omid constantly cried and said that he was very young and afraid of death; he insisted that the killing had been completely accidental and considered himself innocent. He was so devastated that he did not even want to see his family for a final visit and only settled for a brief phone call.”

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

According to HRA’s Annual Report, in 2025 at least 2,063 citizens, including 61 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the sentences of 11 individuals were carried out in public. During the same period, 172 other individuals were sentenced to death.

At Least 10 Prisoners Executed On Drug-Related Charges and Murder

HRANA – At dawn today, the death sentences of at least 10 prisoners were carried out in the prisons of Gorgan, Qaemshahr, Dorud, Isfahan, Neyshabur, Kerman, Kashan, Saveh, Quchan, and Zanjan. These prisoners had previously been sentenced to death on charges related to drug offenses and murder.

Based on information received by HRANA, Ilya Saei was executed in Gorgan Prison; Navid Shahsavar in Qaemshahr Prison; Ali Safar Goodarzi in Dorud Prison; Saman Joozi in Isfahan Prison; Yaghoub Shafieizadeh in Neyshabur Prison; Heshmat Shokri in Kerman Prison; Sultan-Morad Shabani in Kashan Prison; and Keyvan Aminpour in Saveh Prison. These individuals had previously been arrested in separate cases on murder charges and sentenced to death by criminal courts.

Meanwhile, the executions of Siavash Amouzad in Quchan Prison and Roozbeh Zamani in Zanjan Prison were carried out on charges related to drug offenses.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and relevant authorities have not officially announced these executions.

According to HRA’s annual report, at least 2,063 individuals were executed in Iran during 2025. This represents a 119% increase in executions compared to 2024. In many of these cases, due to secrecy, prisoners were even deprived of the right to a final visit with their families.

Execution of 17 Prisoners on Charges of Murder or Drug-Related Offenses

HRANA – Over the past two days, HRANA reported the execution of 17 prisoners in various prisons across the country on charges related to drug offenses or murder.

On Saturday, February 14, four prisoners were hanged in Urmia Prison on murder charges. Further details regarding this case, including the identification of these four prisoners, are still under review by HRANA.

On Sunday, February 15, Mohammadshah Rashidi and Ali Davtalab were executed on murder charges in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

On the same day, Siros Alizadeh in Nowshahr Prison, Amir Khan Mohammadi in Bandar Abbas Prison, Sohrab Daei in Ardabil Prison, a woman identified as Esmat Najafi in Qom Prison, Sasan Pazouki in Semnan Prison, and Ali Ashraf Rahmati in Borujerd Prison were also executed. These prisoners had previously been arrested on murder charges and sentenced to death by criminal courts.

Meanwhile, the executions of Ali Nouri in Naein Prison, Foroud Khalili and another prisoner in Arak Prison, Hassan Doosti in Tabriz Prison, and Mostafa Cheshmi in Qazvin Prison were carried out on charges related to drug offenses.

At the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not officially announced the executions of these prisoners.

According to HRA’s annual report, in 2025, at least 2,063 people were executed in Iran. Based on this report, the implementation of death sentences increased by 119% compared to the year 2024. In many of these executions, due to secrecy and lack of transparency, prisoners were even deprived of the right to a final visit with their families.

At Least 11 Prisoners, Including One Woman, Executed in Iranian Prisons

HRANA – Today, January 7, 2025, the death sentences of 10 prisoners who had previously been sentenced to death on charges related to drug-related offenses and murder were carried out in the prisons of Shiraz, Kashmar, Shahrekord, Bushehr, Mashhad, Chabahar, Damghan, Malayer, and Sabzevar. Separately, at dawn yesterday, another prisoner was executed in Mahabad Prison.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of nine of those executed at dawn today, Wednesday, January 7:

Sobhan Yeganeh on drug-related charges in Shiraz Prison,
Khodamorad Hemmati on drug-related charges in Kashmar Prison,
Behzad Alipour on murder charges in Shahrekord Prison,
Davoud Bagherzadeh on murder charges in Bushehr Prison,
Soheila Azizi, along with another prisoner, on drug-related charges in Mashhad Prison
Mosib Chamani on murder charges in Chabahar Prison,
Bahman Yarbeygi on murder charges in Damghan Prison
Bagher Bazvand on drug-related charges in Malayer Prison
Almas Mehdi-Nejad on drug-related charges in Sabzevar Prison
Additionally, at dawn yesterday, a prisoner identified as Rouhollah Aghapour was executed on murder charges  in Mahabad Prison.

Further details, including confirmation of the identity of the other executed prisoner, are still under investigation by HRANA.

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

According to HRA’s annual report, in 2025, at least 2,063 people were executed in Iran. Based on this data, executions increased by 119% compared to 2024. In many of these cases, due to secrecy, prisoners were even denied the right to a final visit with their families.

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29 Prisoners Executed in Multiple Prisons Across Iran

HRANA – In recent days, the death sentences of dozens of other prisoners have been carried out in various prisons across Iran on charges of murder and drug-related offenses. This report details these executions:

Monday, December 8:

Esfandiar Razaqi, on a charge of murder, in Esfarayen Prison
Sattar Zahedifar, on drug-related charges, in Gonabad Prison

The Iran Human Rights Organization also reported the execution of four prisoners on drug-related charges in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. In addition to the execution of Mohammadbaqer Souri, which HRANA had previously reported, three other prisoners—identified as Shahram Mirzadeh, Fardin Rezaei (37 years old), and Habib Faridi (approximately 30 years old)—were hanged in this prison.

Tuesday, December 9:

Mojtaba Dabir, on a charge of murder, in Nowshahr Prison, Mazandaran Province
Majid Nazaran, on a charge of murder, in Quchan Prison, Razavi Khorasan Province
Diako Farouqi, on a charge of murder, in Sanandaj Prison, Kurdistan Province

Saturday, December 13:

Gholam Saljouqi, on drug-related charges, in Hamedan Prison, Hamedan Province
Farshid Sagvand, on a charge of murder, in Aligudarz Prison, Lorestan Province
Kaka Morad Jafari, on a charge of murder, in Khorramabad Prison, Lorestan Province
Two prisoners on charges of murder in Kermanshah Prison; HRANA has confirmed the identity of one of them as Aziz Ali Moradi
Hassan Torki, on a charge of murder, in Yasuj Prison
Golmohammadi (first name unknown), on a charge of murder, in Nahavand Prison
Hamzeh Sarlak, on a charge of murder, in Dezful Prison, Khuzestan Province

Sunday, December 14:

Sadegh Abdi, on a charge of murder, in Qazvin Prison
Abolfazl Dana, on a charge of murder, in Ardabil Prison
Ali Eitivand, Kiumars Bahrami, Ehsan Yari, and Mohammad Karimi, on drug-related charges, in the Central Prison of Karaj, Alborz Province
Sultan Morad Aslanpour, on drug-related charges, in Tabriz Prison
Yaser Saki Zadeh, on drug-related charges, in Qom Prison
Mohammad Amin Bakhtiari, on drug-related charges, in Semnan Prison
Mohammad Dinari, on drug-related charges, in Arak Prison, Markazi Province
Farhad Abdouli, on a charge of murder, in Dezful Prison

Additionally, a prisoner with an unknown identity was executed on a charge of murder in Borujerd Prison

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

At Least 30 Executions Reported Across Iran from December 2 to 7

HRANA – Over the past several days, from Tuesday, December 2, to Sunday, December 7, the execution of at least thirty prisoners in various prisons across Iran has been reported by HRANA and other human rights organizations. This report outlines the details of these executions:

Tuesday, December 2

HRANA reported the following executions on this date:

Two prisoners executed on drug-related charges in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. HRANA has confirmed the identity of one of them as Hamed Kazari.
Esfandiar Zakipour, executed on drug-related charges in Quchan Prison.
Amir Reza Shah-Mohammadi, executed on murder charges in Zanjan Prison.
Farshid Karami, executed on murder charges in Damghan Prison.

Wednesday, December 3

Artam Ghafoori, executed on murder charges in Mahabad Prison.

Iran Human Rights Organization also reported the execution of a woman, Rana Faraj-Oghli from Tabriz, on charges of murdering her husband. She had been forced into marriage at age 16.

Saturday, December 6

According to HRANA, two prisoners were hanged in Karaj Central Penitentiary. Both had been arrested on murder charges and later sentenced to death by the Criminal Court. HRANA has confirmed the identity of one of them as Farid Zarei.

HRANA also reported the following executions on this day:

Golkaram Gholami, executed on murder charges in Khorramabad Prison.
Mansour Akhlaqi, executed on murder charges in Dezful Prison.
Amin Panahizadeh, executed on murder charges in Sanandaj Prison.
Yahya Miri and Salar Rezaei, executed on murder charges in Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah.
Davoud Dolatshahi, executed on murder charges in Borujerd Prison.
Shahram Torkashvand, executed on drug-related charges in Hamedan Prison.
Three prisoners executed on drug-related charges in Qazvin Prison; HRANA has confirmed the identities of two of them as Alimorad Ansari and Hossein Kocharí.

Sunday, December 7

Mizan, the Judiciary’s official news agency, announced that the death sentence of Mohammad Ghaffari, the primary defendant in the economic corruption case of “Rezaayat Khodro Taravat Novin Company,” was carried out this morning.

HRANA also reported the following executions:

Golmirza Nejatí in Aligudarz Prison.
Abbas Hosseini in Gorgan Prison.
Yavar Farhadi in Khorramabad Prison.
Masoud Ehsani in Bandar Abbas Prison.
Ali Ashraf Khodaei in Saveh Prison.

All five had been sentenced to death on murder charges.

According to HRANA, the following individuals were also executed on drug-related charges:

Nour-ol-Din Asgari in Arak Prison.
Milad Mirzakhani in Semnan Prison.
Khosro Ne’mati in Qom Prison.

Additionally, Hyrcani News reported that Farshid Jafarzadeh, 32, and Mehdi Rajabali-Zadeh, 26, were executed on murder charges in Lakan Prison in Rasht.

Except for the execution of Mohammad Ghaffari, the remaining executions have not been announced by prison officials or the responsible authorities.

From the beginning of this year until the end of November, 2025, the Iranian regime has executed 1,594 people, marking an unprecedented increase compared to previous years.

Report on the Execution of 36 Prisoners in Various Prisons Across Iran

HRANA – In recent days, a broad wave of executions has continued across Iran, with dozens of prisoners, mostly charged with murder or drug-related offenses, hanged in various prisons throughout the country.

November 16:
According to Iran Human Rights, two prisoners, Sajjad Habibi from Fardis, Karaj, and Mohammadreza Besharat from Tehran, were executed in Qazvin Prison. According to the report, Sajjad Habibi had been arrested about four years ago on charges of intentional murder following a street altercation and was sentenced to death by the Criminal Court. Mohammadreza Besharat, 27, had also been arrested about six years ago on charges of intentional murder and sentenced to death.

Monday, November 17:
According to HRANA, a prisoner of Afghan nationality was hanged in Ferdows Prison on drug-related charges.

Tuesday, November 18:
On this day, HRANA reported that the death sentence of Heydar Tahmasebi, convicted of murder, was carried out in Mahshahr Prison.

Wednesday, November 19:
HRANA reported the executions of Shahrokh Sattari, convicted of murder, in Ardabil Prison, and Mohammadkarim Bastami, convicted on drug-related charges, in Quchan Prison.
Iran Human Rights also reported the execution of Kianoush Shadman, 29, in Lakan Prison of Rasht; Reza Nosrati, 25, and Mansour Deirin, 36, convicted of murder, in Adelabad Prison of Shiraz; and Hamidreza Pirhadi, 37, convicted of murder, in Borujerd Prison.

Thursday, November 20:
HRANA reported the execution of Mahan Sheikhi, convicted of murder, in Saveh Prison.
According to Iran Human Rights, Ne’mat Majidzadeh and Mehran Darabian, 27, were executed in Semnan Prison on charges of murder and rape, respectively; Mobin Ramazani from Yazd and Hassan Shokat, 43, were executed in Yazd Prison on drug-related charges; and Mozaffar Abdolvand, 30, was executed on murder charges in Dorud Prison.

Saturday, November 22:
HRANA reported the execution of Mohammad Tajik, an Afghan national, convicted of murder, in Taybad Prison.
HRANA also reported that on the same day, Sasan Misaghi (murder) in Yasuj Prison, Jassem Aghaei (murder) in Karaj Central Penitentiary, Rastin Baharvand (murder) in Khorramabad Prison, Peyman Alizadeh (drug-related offenses) in Bandar Abbas Prison, and Yaser Abdoli and Yaroli Haseli (drug-related offenses) in Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah were executed.
HRANA further reported the execution of two additional prisoners on drug-related charges in Hamedan Prison. Details, including confirmation of the prisoners’ identities, are still under investigation by HRANA.
On the same day, Sari Prison witnessed the execution of two prisoners convicted of murder. Iran Human Rights confirmed the identity of one of them as Hooshang Hashemzadeh, 34, and HRANA confirmed the second as Amir Moradi.

Sunday, November 23:
HRANA reported the following executions:

Ayoub Zeidi, convicted of murder, in Tabriz Prison
Mousa Golpayegani, drug-related charges, in Semnan Prison
Mohammad Hossein Akbari, murder, in Dezful Prison
Amir Nosrat Piriyan, drug-related charges, in Bam Prison
Mahmoud Ali Soltanabadi and (first name unknown) Maleki, murder, in Qom Prison
Three prisoners on drug-related charges in Arak Prison, HRANA has confirmed the identity of one, Mirza Janalizadeh.

At the time of this report, the executions had not been announced by prison officials or the relevant authorities.

Execution of Three Prisoners in Borujerd, Qazvin, and Dorud

HRANA – In recent days, HRANA reported the execution of three prisoners on charges related to drug offenses and murder in the prisons of Borujerd, Qazvin, and Dorud.

At dawn on Monday, a prisoner named Arman Solgi was hanged in Borujerd Prison, Lorestan province. According to information received by HRANA, Mr. Selegi had previously been arrested on a murder charge and later sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.

On Tuesday, another prisoner identified as (first name unknown) Kamangar, a native of Lorestan Province, was executed in Qazvin Prison for drug-related offenses.

On Wednesday, Dorud Prison, also located in Lorestan Province, witnessed the execution of another prisoner convicted of murder. Further details, including the identity of the executed individual, are still being investigated by HRANA.

As of the time of this report, none of these executions have been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant government institutions.

From the beginning of this year until the end of October, the Iranian regime has executed 1,286 people, marking an unprecedented increase compared to previous years.

Prisoner Executed in Qom Prison on Drug-Related Charges

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Tuesday, March 4, Ghasem Saraei, a 30-year-old prisoner sentenced to death on drug-related charges, was executed in Qom Prison.

According to HRANA, citing Iran Human Rights, Saraei was a resident of a town in Qaleh Hasan Khan, Tehran Province. He was arrested approximately three years ago and later sentenced to death by the judiciary. Before his arrest, he worked at a factory in Qaleh Hasan Khan.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant officials have not publicly announced his execution.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.