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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Abbas Aghayi, Yasin Zolfaghari and his unidentified wife were executed for drug-related charges in Tabriz Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Tabriz Central Prison on 25 March. His identity has been established as 36-year-old Abbas Aghayi from Tabriz (photo). He was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
A husband and wife were also executed at the prison on 18 March. The man has been identified as Yasin Zolfaghari but the woman’s identity has not been established at the time of writing.
An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Abbas Aghayi was arrested for drug charges 28 months ago. He denied the charges and claimed the drugs didn’t belong to him. He became his family’s breadwinner after the death of his father and was taking care of his brother and sister who were under 15 years old. He had gotten engaged four months before his arrest. But the court sentenced him to death without any regard.”
“Yasin Zolfaghari and his wife were arrested and sentenced to death for carrying 3kg of methamphetamine (shisheh) and were the main defendants in the case. They had married a year prior to their arrest,” the source added.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. 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.
The unidentified woman is the third woman execution recorded in 2024 and the second to be executed for drug charges. In 2023, at least 22 women were executed.
