Manouchehr Nikoukhalgh Hanged for Drug Offences in Mashhad
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); 13 June 2026: Manouchehr Nikoukhalgh, a man on death row for drug-related offences, was executed in Mashhad Central Prison alongside his co-defendant, Asadollah Bahreh, whose execution had been previously reported by IHRNGO.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Mashhad (Vakil Abad) Central Prison on 9 June 2026. His identity has been established as 35-year-old Manouchehr Nikoukhalgh from Saleh Abad in Torbat Jam.
He was arrested around three years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court on drug-related charges along with co-defendant Asadollah Bahreh.
IHRNGO previously reported the execution of Asadollah Bahreh, a Baluch father of one, on 10 June.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 795 people were executed for drug-related charges, of which only 0.18% were announced by official sources. 13% of all drug-related executions in 2025 were Baluch minorities while they represent 2-6% of Iran’s population.
In December 2025, IHRNGO published a report titled “A Village of Graves: Widespread and Systematic Drug Executions in Iran,” which provides an overview of drug laws and documents the systematic violation of due process and fair trial rights in drug cases.
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