Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); March 14, 2024: Behzad Bidrang, a man on death row for drug-related charges, was executed in Qazvin Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Qazvin Central Prison on 14 March. His identity has been established as 42-year-old Behzad Bidrang, a father of two from Ajab Shir in East Azerbaijan province.
Behzad was arrested for drug-related charges two years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.
Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years. According to IHRNGO’s 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.