On August 1, 2023, in Arak Prison, Ruhollah Azizi, aged 40, was executed after being convicted of drug-related crimes, as reported by Rasank News.

Haal Vsh also reported the execution of an inmate for drug offenses in Birjand Prison on July 31. He has been identified as Rahim Ghiljaei, 46, married, the father of one child. He had been sentenced to death two years prior, and his execution occurred without prior notice to his family, leaving them deprived of a final visitation.

These executions have thrust the issue of capital punishment for drug-related offenses into the spotlight. In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran recorded 457 reports concerning the death penalty. Approximately 43% of these executions were linked to drug-related charges.