Two Prisoners Executed in Tabriz Prison

HRANA – At dawn on Wednesday, September 17, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted of murder in separate cases by the Criminal Court were carried out in Tabriz Prison.

Iran Human Rights has identified the identities of the two prisoners as Zahra Fotouhi, 52, from Tabriz, and Morteza Shirkhani, 40, from Tabriz.

According to the report, Ms. Fotouhi was arrested in 2020 on a charge of murder and later sentenced to death by the Criminal Court, while Mr. Shirkhani was arrested in 2021 on a similar charge and likewise sentenced to death.

Ms. Fotouhi was accused of murdering her first husband due to alleged harassment, nine years after remarrying following her divorce. Mr. Shirkhani, meanwhile, was arrested for allegedly killing a friend over financial disputes.

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

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

Lawyer Abolfazl Ranjbari Held Without Charge for Over Four Months in Tabriz Prison

Abolfazl Ranjbari, a lawyer, has been in detention for more than four months and remains held in an uncertain state in Tabriz Prison.

According to HRANA, Abolfazl Ranjbari has now been detained for 138 days. A source close to the prisoner’s family told HRANA: “After two months of interrogation and being held in The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Tabriz, Mr. Ranjbari was transferred to the quarantine ward of Tabriz Prison. He is now held in Ward 5, known as the secure ward (‘Health Ward’), without a clear status. So far, no opportunity has been given for him to post bail. Mr. Ranjbari has also been denied contact and visits with his family and relatives.”

His case, after being reviewed by the Tabriz Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office, has been sent to the city’s court for trial.

Abolfazl Ranjbari, lawyer and writer, was arrested by security forces in Tabriz on May 4 of this year.

Seven Prisoners Executed in Tabriz Prison

HRANA – On Sunday, September 7, the death sentences of seven prisoners convicted in separate cases on drug-related charges were carried out in Tabriz Prison.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of five of the executed prisoners as Tofigh Nemati, Hooshang Henareh, Babak Omarzadeh, Keyvan Mamedi, and Najib Azarm. The Iran Human Rights has reported the identities of the other two as Sadegh Bahmani and Mojtaba Salemi.

Details available include: Tofigh Nemati, from Bardizi village near Urmia; Hooshang Henareh, from Khalian village near Urmia; Babak Omarzadeh, 45, from Gonbad village near Urmia; and Keyvan Mamedi, 43, from Derik village in Salmas. Najib Azarm was identified as the son of Haj Ali Kalankani. According to Iran Human Rights, both Bahmani and Salemi were residents of Tabriz.

The prisoners had been arrested in separate cases on charges related to drug offenses and were subsequently sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and other relevant institutions have not publicly announced these executions.

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.

Two Prisoners Executed in Tabriz Prison

HRANA– At dawn on Wednesday, August 20, two prisoners who had previously been sentenced to death on murder charges were executed in Tabriz Prison.

HRANA has identified the individuals hanged at dawn on Wednesday, August 21, 2025, as Naghi Shahi and Yashar Lejehi. Based on information received by HRANA, Messrs. Shahi and Lejehi had been arrested on murder charges and later sentenced to death by criminal courts.

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

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

Two Prisoners Executed in Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency – At dawn yesterday, two prisoners who had previously been sentenced to death in a joint case involving drug-related charges and the killing of an officer during their arrest were executed in Tabriz Prison.

The identities of the two prisoners executed on Monday, July 7, have been confirmed by HRANA as Amin Khosravi and Saeed Asadzadeh.

According to information received by HRANA, the two were arrested in 2021 in a joint case on charges related to drug offenses and the killing of an officer. They were initially arrested for drug-related crimes and allegedly killed a law enforcement officer during the arrest.

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

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

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Drug-Related Offenses: Prisoner Executed in Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted on drug-related charges was carried out in Tabriz Prison.

According to HRANA, citing Iran Human Rights, the execution took place at dawn on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

ran Human Rights has identified the prisoner as Gholi Faramarzi, approximately 50 years old and a resident of Urmia.

According to the report, Mr. Faramarzi was arrested five years ago on charges related to drug offenses and later sentenced to death by a judicial authority.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and responsible institutions have not publicly announced the execution.

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

Babak Asadi Arrested and Transferred to Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency – Babak Asadi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was arrested yesterday by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in Heris County, East Azerbaijan province, and transferred to Tabriz Prison.

A source close to his family told HRANA: “A few hours after the arrest, Mr. Asadi called his family and informed them that he had been transferred to Tabriz Prison.”

The day before, on Sunday, May 25, intelligence agents had searched both his workplace and his family residence in Heris without presenting a court warrant. Following the search, they summoned him to the Intelligence Office without providing a formal summons.

As of the time of this report, the reasons for his arrest and the charges against him remain unknown.

Babak Asadi Daghdaghan, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, has previously faced pressure and security-related actions due to his activism. He is the son of Asadollah Asadi, a political activist and former prisoner.

Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Kazem Safabakhsh and Saman Bidar Arrested in Qazvin

HRANA News Agency –On Friday, May 2, Azerbaijani-Turk activists Kazem Safabakhsh and Saman Bidar were arrested in Qazvin and transferred to the city’s prison.

A source close to the families confirmed the arrests and told HRANA, “The two were detained by IRGC Intelligence agents in connection with their support for the Tractor football team during a recent match. Following their arrest, both Safabakhsh and Bidar were transferred to Qazvin Prison.”

Saman Bidar had previously been released on bail from Tabriz Prison on March 13, 2025, after being arrested by IRGC Intelligence agents on March 1 of the same year.

Both activists have a history of prior arrests and convictions related to their activism.

In 2024, HRANA reported the arrest of 262 ethnic activists. Although the specific charges and reasons for these arrests remain unclear in many cases, given the security agencies’ longstanding pattern of conduct, it is believed that most were detained due to their advocacy for ethnic rights. At least 109 of these arrests were carried out without a warrant.

Two Prisoners Executed in Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency – On April 23, 2025, two prisoners previously sentenced to death on separate drug-related charges were executed in Tabriz Prison.

Iran Human Rights have identified them as Mehran Zolfi, 27, from Tabriz, and Asghar Nouri-Nia, 35, from Jolfa.

According to the report, Zolfi had been detained for four years and Nouri-Nia for five years, both on drug-related charges. They were ultimately sentenced to death in separate cases by the Revolutionary Court.

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

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Two Prisoners Executed in Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency –On March 29, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted on charges related to drug offenses and murder were carried out in Tabriz Prison.

Iran Human Rights has confirmed the identity of one of the executed individuals as Morteza Saadatpour Zeini, a 32-year-old resident of Tabriz. He had been arrested three years ago on drug-related charges and was later sentenced to death.

HRANA has also identified the second prisoner as Mohsen Hedayat, who had been detained on murder charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the judiciary.

At the time of this report’s publication, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not officially announced the executions.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.