3 Men Executed for Drug Offences in Tabriz

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were executed in Tabriz Central Prison on 27 April. Their identities have been established as Sohrab Hokmabad, 36-year-old Amir Moharami and 33-year-old Davoud Namiari who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Sohrab Hokmabad and Davoud Namiari were arrested for drug charges three years ago and Amir Moharami was arrested two years ago.”

Sohrab, Davoud and Amir were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions in a group of five on 25 April. The woman and one of the men were returned to their cells for unknown reasons.

At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 471 people were executed for drug-related charges, an 84% increase compared to 2022 (256) and about 18 times the average of drug-related executions in 2018-2020.

On 10 April 2024, 80+ Iranian and international organisations and groups called for joint action to stop drug-related executions, urging UNODC to make “any cooperation with the Islamic Republic contingent on a complete halt on drug-related executions.”