Abed Khodaverdi and Arshad Jodat who were sentenced to death on drug-related charges, have been executed in Zanjan Central Prison. At least 74 prisoners, including a woman, have been executed on drug-related charges in Iranian prisons in 2021.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed on drug-related charges in Zanjan Central Prison on September 21. Their identities have been established as 40-year-old Abed Khodaverdi and Urmia-native, Arshad Jodat.

An informed source told IHR: “Abed Khodaverdi was around 40 years old and was detained and sentenced to death on drug-related charges around four years ago. Arshad Jodat had also been behind bars for drug-related charges for around four years.”

At the time of writing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

According to Iran Human Rights’ Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran, at least 25 people were executed on drug-related charges in 2020. However, at least 74 people have so far been executed on the same charge in 2021.

On May 3, IHR published a report on the death penalty in the first four months of 2021 expressing concern at the significant increase in the number of drug-related executions and continues to warn of the continuation of this trend.

Source » iranhr