Kurdish prisoner Yousef Esmaeili executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison

Hengaw - Wednesday, May 21, 2025

The execution of Yousef Esmaeili, a Kurdish prisoner from the city of Sardasht, was carried out in Bandar Abbas Central Prison following a conviction by the Iranian judiciary on charges of acid transportation.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the execution took place at dawn on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Esmaeili, aged 38, was a father of two. He had been sentenced to death in connection with the alleged  transport of acid from the port city of Genaveh to Sardasht.

Hengaw sources reported that Esmaeili was convicted without his case being reviewed by the Supreme Court and without formal notification of the verdict being provided to him or his family—a violation of due process under both Iranian law and international human rights standards.

During his three years of detention, Esmaeili was denied the right to family visits. Two days prior to his execution, his family was summoned to the prison for a final visit, without being informed it would be their last opportunity to see him.

The state media and judiciary-affiliated outlets have not reported on the execution.