Photo: Hengaw Organization for Human Rights

Iran Executes Two Afghan Citizens for Drug Trafficking, Rights Group Reports

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – An Iranian human rights organization has reported that the Islamic Republic executed two Afghan citizens on drug-related charges in Shiraz city.

The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which monitors human rights abuses in Iran, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday, July 2, that Afghan citizens Aliullah Bakhsh and Afzalullah Bakhsh were executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad Prison) on Sunday, June 30.

According to the rights group, these individuals were arrested three years ago on charges of drug trafficking and were later sentenced to death by the Iranian Judiciary.

“To date, the news of the execution of these prisoners has not been announced in the Iranian state media, especially the media affiliated with the judiciary,” reads part of the statement.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, one of the countries with the highest rates of capital punishment in the world, has executed hundreds of people, including foreign nationals, in recent years for a variety of crimes, including drug offenses, national security concerns, and participation in anti-government protests.

The precise number of Afghan citizens executed annually in Iran remains uncertain, as the Islamic Republic largely carries out execution orders secretly. However, it is commonly believed that a significant number of these executions stem from drug-related charges.

The border regions of Afghanistan with Iran serve as major drug trafficking routes out of the country, which until recently produced over 90% of the global opium supply.

In April, the rights group reported that the Islamic Republic has executed at least 14 citizens of Afghanistan in its prisons since the beginning of 2024, a span of less than four months.

Human rights organizations have criticized the Iranian government for conducting a series of executions, arguing that these actions violate international laws and the right to life.

Amnesty International says that the death penalty, without exception, constitutes a violation of the right to life as articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“The shameless rate at which the authorities are carrying out drug-related executions, in violation of international law, exposes their lack of humanity and flagrant disregard for the right to life,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“The international community must ensure that cooperation in anti-drug trafficking initiatives do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the arbitrary deprivation of life and other human rights violations in Iran,” she added.