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

HRANA – At dawn today, Tuesday, September 16, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj.

HRANA has identified the executed prisoners as Masoud Okhtizadeh, from Kuhdasht, and Akbar Emami, from Nourabad.

Information obtained by HRANA indicates that both men had been arrested on charges related to narcotics offenses and later sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially 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.

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.

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Ghezel Hesar Prison: Three Prisoners Transferred to Solitary Confinement for Execution

HRANA– On the morning of Tuesday, August 26, three prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, who had previously been sentenced to death on charges related to drug offenses and murder, were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for the execution of their sentences.

Their transfer was carried out for the implementation of their death sentences. Based on information received by HRANA, two of the prisoners had been sentenced to death on murder charges by criminal courts, while the third had been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court on drug-related charges.

Further details, including the identities of these prisoners, are still being investigated by HRANA.

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.

Journalist Omid Faraghat Sentenced to 3 Months in Prison

HRANA – Omid Faraghat, a journalist, has been sentenced to three months in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. In a separate ruling, Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court acquitted him of other charges.

According to HRANA, Mr. Faraghat reported that Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, convicted him on the charge of propaganda against the regime and sentenced him to three months in prison. The charge was based on allegations of interviews with Persian-language media outlets based abroad, a claim he has denied.

At the same time, Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court acquitted him of additional charges of propaganda against the regime and spreading falsehoods to disturb public opinion. The trial concerning these accusations took place on Monday, August 18.

The conviction that resulted in his prison sentence was issued following a separate hearing held on Sunday, July 13, in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Omid Faraghat, a journalist and political media activist residing in Karaj, has previously faced judicial proceedings in connection with his professional activities.

Ghezel Hesar Prison: Six Prisoners Transferred to Solitary Confinement for Execution

HRANA – On the morning of Monday, August 25, six prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, all previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges, were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions.

According to information received by HRANA, the six prisoners had been arrested on drug charges and later sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts. Their transfer marks the final step before the implementation of their sentences. Further details, including the prisoners’ identities, are still under investigation by HRANA.

HRANA’s statistics show that Ghezel Hesar Prison recorded the highest number of executions among all Iranian prisons, with 150 inmates hanged. This figure represents nearly double the executions carried out the previous year — a deeply alarming rise highlighting the escalating use of capital punishment in Iran.

Two Prisoners Executed in Karaj Central Penitentiary

HRANA– At dawn on Wednesday, August 6, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Karaj Central Penitentiary.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of the executed individuals as Farhad Tavakoli and Aryo Jalali.

The two had been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, the execution of these prisoners has not been officially announced by prison authorities or responsible institutions.

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.

Death Sentence for Babak Shahbazi Upheld by Supreme Court

HRANA – The Supreme Court of Iran has upheld the death sentence of Babak Shahbazi, a political prisoner currently held in Tehran’s Greater Prison. Shahbazi was previously arrested on charges of espionage and sentenced to death.

According to HRANA, citing BBC Persian, Shahbazi was accused of spying for Israel. The Supreme Court has now confirmed the verdict. Authorities have issued an order for his transfer to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

BBC Persian, quoting informed sources, reports that Shahbazi denied all charges throughout the judicial process. One of the accusations reportedly used to support the espionage charge was that he had sent a message to the President of Ukraine.

Shahbazi was arrested in January 2024 and initially detained in Evin Prison. He was later transferred to Tehran’s Greater Prison along with other political prisoners after an Israeli airstrike targeted Evin.