Three Inmates Executed in Zanjan and Qazvin Prisons

On January 11, two inmates previously convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Zanjan Central Prison. Last Sunday, an inmate convicted of murder was executed in Qazvin Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Human Rights Organization, the two inmates executed in Zanjan were identified as two brothers, Farhang and Yaser Ali Elahi, aged 35 and 32 years old respectively. The brothers were imprisoned for five years and sentenced to death for drug-related crimes. Additionally, last Sunday, an inmate identified as Mohammad Rasool Baghadam was executed in Qazvin Prison.

“In 2018, Mohammad Rasool Baghadam was arrested for killing a construction worker and sentenced to death in 2019. He was a chandelier maker and committed murder for financial reasons,” an informed source reported.

At the time of writing, no official sources and media outlets inside the country have reported these executions.

The most recent report from the Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) states that between January 1 of 2021 and December 20 of 2021, at least 299 citizens, including four juvenile offenders, were executed. In addition, 85 citizens were sentenced to death in this period.

As the report points out, Iran’s judicial authorities do not publicly announce over 88% of executions. These unreported executions are known as “secret executions” by human rights organizations.