KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Iran executed an Afghan prisoner convicted of drug-related offenses on Wednesday, according to the Iranian human rights organization Haalvsh.
The executed man, identified as 25-year-old Abdullah Jalali, was arrested four years ago in the southeastern city of Zahedan and was hanged in Zahedan Prison, according to the group. Jalali was originally from the Khashrod district in Afghanistan’s Nimruz province and was the father of two children.
Iranian authorities and state media have not publicly confirmed the execution.
Iran is among the world’s top executioners, frequently imposing the death penalty for drug offenses, murder, and other crimes. Rights group Hengaw documented at least 1,858 executions across multiple Iranian prisons in 2025, including 85 Afghan nationals — a sharp rise compared with previous years.
Human rights organizations have long criticized Iran’s extensive use of capital punishment, highlighting limited access to legal representation, lack of transparency in judicial proceedings, and concerns over fair trial standards, especially for foreign nationals and those in politically sensitive cases.
Similar executions continue under Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, which have carried out at least 12 public executions for murder since regaining power in 2021.
The United Nations and international human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned the practice in both countries as violations of international law and the right to life enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
