Iranian authorities have executed at least three Afghan nationals in recent days, according to reports from two human rights monitoring groups, amid what activists describe as a sharp rise in executions in the country.
The Iran Human Rights Organization said that on Wednesday morning, seven men were executed at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran. Four were convicted of premeditated murder, while the remaining three — including one Afghan citizen — were executed for drug-related offenses.
Separately, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that two more Afghan nationals were executed in Choobindar Prison in Qazvin Province. The individuals were identified as Wasim Ahmad, 40, and Rabih Shah-Murad, approximately 27. They had been arrested three years ago in a joint case involving narcotics and later sentenced to death.
The Iran Human Rights Organization noted that executions of Afghan prisoners have increased significantly since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. The group previously reported that at least 80 Afghan nationals have been executed in Iran in 2024 alone.
Amnesty International has also raised concerns over Iran’s use of capital punishment. In its latest report, the group said Iran carried out at least 972 executions in 2023 — a 119-person increase over the previous year.
Human rights organizations have long criticized Iran’s judicial system for a lack of transparency, limited legal protections for defendants, and disproportionate use of the death penalty, particularly in drug-related cases.
