TEHRAN — Iran has executed at least six prisoners, including one Afghan citizen, in the northeastern city of Mashhad, according to a report from Hal Vash, a human rights organization. The executions, which reportedly involved detainees from Sistan and Baluchestan Province and one Afghan national, were carried out over charges related to drug offenses and other alleged crimes.
The human rights organization identified four of those executed: Mahmoud Shahraki and Mohammad Reza Davar, both from Zabol in Sistan and Baluchestan; Zahir Safari, the Afghan national; and Majid Ghadiri, a resident of Mashhad.
Iran’s use of the death penalty against Afghan nationals has raised significant concerns, with data from the Iran Human Rights Organization indicating that at least 49 Afghan citizens have been executed in Iran over the past ten months.
Although Iranian authorities state that Afghan prisoners are executed primarily for drug trafficking and murder, the government has provided no public comment on the overall number of Afghan nationals executed or details on their cases. Human rights groups have also raised concerns over the legal representation and due process available to Afghan detainees in Iran, noting that many Afghan prisoners lack access to adequate legal defense.
Executions of Afghan citizens have been documented in various Iranian prisons, including Qezel Hesar, Karaj, Qom Central Prison, Shiraz Central Prison, and Mashhad Prison, among others.
