Number of prisoners executed in Ghezel Hesar prison rises to eight, including five Kurds

Hengaw – Thursday, August 28, 2025

Authorities executed at least eight prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, at dawn on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. Those executed included five Kurdish men and one Afghan national.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the most recently identified are Faramarz Shahbazi and Mashallah Nikoufal, both Kurds from Harsin in Kermanshah (Kermashan) Province, Ahmadali Mehripour, a Kurd from Kuhdasht, and Kazem Fatemi. 

Shahbazi and Nikoufal were arrested about six years ago, Mehripour the same year on drug-related charges, and Fatemi on charges of possessing 12 kilograms of methamphetamine. All were later sentenced to death by the Iranian judiciary.

Hengaw had earlier confirmed the executions of four other men the same day. They were Kurdish prisoners Fereydoun Mohammadi from Kermanshah and Hossein Biabani from Harsin, along with Hesam Mohammadi from Tehran and Ahmad Yousefi, an Afghan national. Fereydoun Mohammadi and Hesam Mohammadi had been convicted of murder, Biabani of drug-related charges, and Yousefi of rape.

Iranian state media, including outlets affiliated with the judiciary, have not announced these executions.