Nine Prisoners Executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj

HRANA- On Wednesday, October 8, nine prisoners were executed by hanging in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

According to HRANA, four of the executed individuals had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges, four on murder charges, and one on a charge of rape.

The identity of one of the prisoners has been confirmed as Ahmadi Mohammadi, who was convicted on drug-related charges. HRANA has also identified another prisoner as Mahmoud Valiollah, who had been arrested on a murder charge.

A close relative of Mr. Valiollah told HRANA: “Mahmoud was the father of a 16-year-old son and two daughters, aged 6 and 10. He had lived in Tehran for many years. In the summer of 2021, he shot and killed his wife. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.”

The Hamshahri daily reported that one of the other executed prisoners was a man who, in March 2024, killed the wife of one of his colleagues during a robbery. He was arrested, sentenced to death, and his sentence was carried out in prison.

According to the same source, another executed prisoner was a man named Pedram, who three years earlier had killed the woman he was romantically interested in in order to steal her Tiggo car and buried her body in the Taleqan desert. He was arrested, tried, sentenced to death, and executed at dawn on Wednesday.

Hamshahri also reported that another of those executed was a man who had been arrested about seven years ago on charges of killing a young woman over a financial dispute. Her body was later found along the Tehran–Qom highway. The man was executed early Wednesday morning following his trial and sentencing.

In addition, Hamshahri reported that one of the executed prisoners had been arrested on charges of raping one of his relatives.

Since the beginning of this year, 183 people have been executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison alone, a figure unprecedented in comparison to previous years.

Civil Rights Activist Sajjad Haeri Sentenced to Prison and Additional Punishments

HRANA – Civil activist Sajjad Haeri, the brother of political prisoner Ahmadreza Haeri, has been sentenced by the Damavand Revolutionary Court to two years and six months in prison, along with supplementary punishments.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the court issued this ruling against Haeri on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “spreading falsehoods with intent to disturb public opinion.”

A social media page attributed to Ahmadreza Haeri reported that, in addition to imprisonment, Sajjad Haeri was given a two-year ban on membership in political and social parties, groups, and associations. The ruling also includes the suspension of any media outlet or institution allegedly involved in the charges.

He was initially arrested on July 12 by security forces at his father’s residence in Damavand and was later released on bail pending trial.

Sajjad Haeri is the brother of political prisoner Ahmadreza Haeri, who is currently serving his sentence in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj.

Four Prisoners Executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison on Drug-Related Charges

HRANA – At dawn yesterday, Wednesday, October 1, four prisoners previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of three of the prisoners as Ali Geravand, Javad Sargazi, and Hamid-Reza Maleki.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, these prisoners had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts.

At the time of this report, the executions have not been announced by prison authorities or other responsible institutions.

According to HRANA’s statistics, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj carried out the highest number of executions among all Iranian prisons, with 150 inmates hanged. This figure has nearly doubled compared to the previous year — a deeply alarming increase that underscores the escalating use of capital punishment in Iran.

Number of Executions in Ghezel Hesar Prison Rises to Four

HRANA- Today, September 17, alongside the execution of political prisoner Babak Shahbazi in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, three other prisoners previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges were also hanged.

HRANA has identified the executed prisoners as Rahman Sarlak, Majid Hosseini, and Ali Esmaeili. According to information received by HRANA, the three had earlier been arrested on drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the judiciary.

As of the time of this report, the executions of these three prisoners have not been officially announced by prison authorities or state institutions. The Judiciary’s Media Center had earlier this morning reported the execution of Babak Shahbazi.

According to HRANA’s statistics, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj carried out the highest number of executions among all Iranian prisons, with 150 inmates hanged. This figure has nearly doubled compared to the previous year — a deeply alarming increase that underscores the escalating use of capital punishment in Iran.

Judiciary Announces Execution of Babak Shahbazi

HRANA – This morning, Wednesday, the Judiciary’s Media Center announced the execution of Babak Shahbazi on charges of “espionage and intelligence cooperation with Israel.” Shahbazi had been transferred to solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj yesterday.

The Judiciary’s Media Center stated that the execution took place this morning, Wednesday, September 17, 2025, after the Supreme Court upheld the ruling. The report claimed that “Babak Shahbazi worked as a contractor in the design and installation of industrial cooling systems with companies affiliated with telecommunications, military, and security institutions. He was accused of intelligence and security cooperation with Israel and of exchanging information with individuals affiliated with that country. Ultimately, he was sentenced to death on charges of corruption on earth through moharebeh (enmity against God).”

The Judiciary’s news agency also named Esmail Fekri as one of Shahbazi’s associates. He was arrested on similar “espionage” charges and was executed in the same prison on June 16, 2025.

Yesterday, Shahbazi’s brother announced that the political prisoner had been transferred to solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar Prison. He added that the family, along with relatives, staged a sit-in outside the prison.

Shahbazi’s request for a retrial was recently rejected by the Supreme Court for the third time. His brother had earlier reported that the Ninth Branch of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ghasem Mazinani, had also denied the second retrial request.

On August 19, after 12 days during which his family had no information about his whereabouts, Shahbazi was transferred to the public ward of Ghezel Hesar Prison. His relatives had previously expressed deep concern over being left in the dark about his condition.

BBC Persian had earlier reported that Shahbazi’s death sentence had been confirmed by the Supreme Court for the first time.

Shahbazi was arrested on charges of espionage and sentenced to death. One of the accusations against him included sending a message to the President of Ukraine.

He was detained in January 2024 and initially held in Evin Prison. Following an Israeli airstrike on Evin, he, along with other political prisoners, was transferred to the Greater Tehran Prison before being moved again to Ghezel Hesar.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Death-Row Political Prisoner Babak Shahbazi Transferred to Solitary Confinement

HRANA – The family of Babak Shahbazi, a political prisoner sentenced to death, has reported that he was transferred today to solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

In a video message released yesterday, Keyhan Shahbazi, Babak’s brother, confirmed that the death-row prisoner had been moved to one of the solitary cells of Ghezel Hesar Prison. This transfer has intensified the family’s fears, as it is widely regarded as a prelude to carrying out executions. He added that the family, along with several relatives, has staged a sit-in outside the prison in protest.

Shahbazi’s request for a retrial was recently rejected by the Supreme Court for the third time. Earlier, his brother had reported that the Ninth Branch of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ghasem Mazinani, had also denied the second retrial request.

On August 19, after 12 days during which his family had no information about his whereabouts, Shahbazi was transferred to the public ward of Ghezel Hesar Prison. His relatives had previously expressed deep concern over being left in the dark about his condition.

BBC Persian had earlier reported that Shahbazi’s death sentence had been confirmed by the Supreme Court for the first time.

Shahbazi was arrested on charges of espionage and sentenced to death. One of the accusations against him included sending a message to the President of Ukraine.

He was detained in January 2024 and initially held in Evin Prison. Following an Israeli airstrike on Evin, he, along with other political prisoners, was transferred to the Greater Tehran Prison before being moved again to Ghezel Hesar.

Three Prisoners Executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison

HRANA – At dawn today, September 3, the death sentences of three prisoners were carried out in Ghezel Hesar Prison. These prisoners had previously been sentenced to death in separate cases on charges related to drug offenses.

HRANA has identified one of the executed prisoners as 42-year-old Sajad Sadeghi from Kuhdasht.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, these prisoners had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court. Yesterday, HRANA also reported that four death-row prisoners were executed in this facility.

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

According to HRANA’s statistics, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj carried out the highest number of executions among all Iranian prisons, with 150 inmates hanged. This figure has nearly doubled compared to the previous year – a deeply alarming increase that underscores the escalating use of capital punishment in Iran.

Execution of Four Prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj

HRANA – Today, September 2, four prisoners were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison.

HRANA has identified one of the executed prisoners as Hooman Geravand from Kuhdasht. He had previously been arrested on drug-related charges, sentenced to death, and spent 18 years in prison.

The identities of the three other prisoners are still under investigation. One of them had earlier been sentenced to death by the court on charges of membership in the “ISIS” group.

The two remaining prisoners were executed despite no details of their cases being released, and judicial authorities have yet to officially confirm their executions.

According to HRANA’s statistics, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj carried out the highest number of executions among all Iranian prisons, with 150 inmates hanged. This figure has nearly doubled compared to the previous year — a deeply alarming increase that underscores the escalating use of capital punishment in Iran.

Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj: Eight Prisoners Transferred to Solitary Confinement for Execution

HRANA – Yesterday, eight prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, who had previously been sentenced to death on drug-related charges, were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for the implementation of their sentences.

Based on information received by HRANA, these prisoners had been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts.

HRANA is currently working to confirm the identities of the prisoners.

It is noteworthy that simultaneously with their transfer, the execution of Soleiman Koushki—who had also been sentenced to death on similar charges—was carried out in this prison.

According to HRANA’s monthly report, 153 people were executed in Iran last month. With eight months having passed in the current year, the number of executions has reached 837, which, compared to 930 executions in the entire previous year, reflects a concerning rise.

Four Prisoners Executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj

HRANA– At dawn today, Wednesday, August 27, the death sentences of four prisoners previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of two of the executed prisoners as Hossein Biabani and an individual identified only by the surname Yousefi, whose first name remains unknown.

Based on information received by HRANA, these prisoners had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts.

Further details, including the identities of the two other executed prisoners, are under investigation by HRANA.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been announced by prison authorities or official bodies.

According to HRANA’s statistics, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj carried out the highest number of executions among all Iranian prisons, with 150 inmates hanged. This figure has nearly doubled compared to the previous year — a deeply alarming increase that underscores the escalating use of capital punishment in Iran.