KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Iranian authorities have executed ten prisoners this week, including four Afghan nationals, amid a sharp increase in the country’s use of the death penalty.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which tracks rights abuses in Iran, said the executions took place across multiple prisons over the past three days.
According to the report, three Afghan men—Rouhollah Hakemi, 54, Nezam Hakemi, 23, and Allahbakhsh Mirjahani, 44—were executed on Wednesday, September 3, in Qom Central Prison. All three were convicted on drug-related charges.
A day later, on Thursday, an unidentified Afghan man convicted of murder was executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, according to Hengaw.
“None of these executions have been reported by Iranian state media, including outlets affiliated with the judiciary,” the group said.
Iran is known for one of the highest execution rates in the world, using the death penalty for a wide range of crimes, including drug offenses, murder, and political dissent. According to Hengaw, at least 152 prisoners, including eight Afghan nationals and women, were executed in multiple prisons across Iran in August 2025. This marks a 70% increase compared with the same period last year.
The Iranian government does not release detailed statistics on executions of foreign nationals, but rights groups have documented a sharp rise in the execution of Afghan citizens since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Iran Human Rights (IHR) reports that 16 Afghan nationals, including a woman and a minor, were executed in 2022. The number rose to 25 in 2023 and more than tripled to at least 80 in 2024. So far in 2025, at least 50 Afghan nationals have been executed.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned the growing use of the death penalty in Iran. They argue that capital punishment violates the right to life under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and call for its complete abolition.
