Jahangir Rostami Arrested and Transferred to Evin Prison

HRANA – Jahangir Rostami, a member of the Harsin Teachers’ Trade Association, was arrested by security forces at his home on Friday, October 17, and transferred to Evin Prison.

A source close to Rostami confirmed the violent nature of his arrest and told HRANA:
“On Friday, October 17, security agents arrested Jahangir Rostami at his home in Harsin. His family later went to the Kermanshah Prosecutor’s Office, where they were informed that he had been transferred to Evin Prison.”

As of now, no information has been made available regarding the charges brought against him.

Jahangir Rostami, a 63-year-old retired teacher, is the father of Ehsan Rostami, a cultural activist from Harsin who was arrested by security forces in Tehran on August 20. Since his arrest, Ehsan Rostami has been denied family visits by order of Naser Jalayer Sartaghi, the investigator of Branch 5 of Evin Prosecutor’s Office. On Wednesday, October 2, he began a hunger strike to protest the uncertainty surrounding his case and the pressure exerted by interrogators.

Two Prisoners Executed in Kerman Prison

HRANA – At dawn on Thursday, October 16, 2025, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Kerman Prison.

HRANA has identified one of the executed prisoners as Jaber Nadi. The identity of the other prisoner is still being verified.
Based on information obtained by HRANA, the prisoners had been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and responsible institutions have not yet officially announced the executions.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, over 52 percent of executed prisoners had been convicted on drug-related charges. Over the past ten years, individuals convicted of drug trafficking have accounted for 40 percent of all executions. Unfortunately, HRANA’s statistics show no progress in reducing executions for drug-related offenses.

Prisoner Executed in Taybad Prison

HRANA – On Wednesday morning, October 15, 2025, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted of murder was carried out in Taybad Prison.

HRANA has identified the individual as Maziar Fathi. Based on information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Fathi had previously been arrested on murder charges and later sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and responsible institutions have not yet announced the execution.

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

Three Prisoners Executed in Yazd Prison

HRANA – At dawn on Monday, October 13, 2025, the death sentences of three prisoners previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Yazd Prison.

HRANA has identified one of the executed prisoners as Karim Aslani.
Based on information obtained by HRANA, the prisoners had been arrested on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not yet officially announced these executions.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, 25 prisoners were executed in Yazd Prison. Also, over 52 percent of executed prisoners across Iran had been convicted on drug-related charges. Over the past ten years, individuals convicted of drug trafficking have accounted for 40 percent of all executions. Unfortunately, HRANA’s statistics show no progress in reducing executions for drug-related offenses.

In Protest Against Executions: Report on the Fourth Day of Prisoners’ Strike in Ghezel Hesar Prison

HRANA – Today, Thursday, October 16, the hunger strike by prisoners in Karaj’s Ghezel Hesar Prison entered its fourth consecutive day. Hundreds of inmates continue refusing their food rations in protest against the escalating wave of executions. Over the past few days, at least several prisoners have been executed in this prison.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, inmates in Ward 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison, most of whom are detained on drug-related charges, began refusing their food rations on Monday as an act of protest.

A family member of one imprisoned individual told HRANA:

“It’s been four days since I last heard from my husband. The ward’s phones have been cut off, and we’ve only heard that several people were taken for execution. We are completely deprived of any contact or information and only learn from outside sources that several prisoners are executed each day.”

Alongside the ongoing strike, several families of prisoners sentenced to death have gathered in front of the prison in recent days, calling for a halt to the executions. These gatherings have faced restrictions and pressure from security forces.

The prisoners’ protest began when 16 inmates were transferred to solitary confinement for execution. In the early days of the protest, inmates in at least Wards 1 and 2 refused their food rations and held sit-ins in the ward halls.

Since the start of these protests, at least five prisoners have been executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison.

Between October 10, 2024, and October 8, 2025, HRANA’s Statistics and Publication Department has recorded 1,537 executions in Iran. According to this data, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj has accounted for the highest number of executions during this period.

The same report compares ten years of execution data in Iran, showing that 6,399 prisoners have been executed over the past decade. Execution rates in 2024 and 2025 have reached their peak, with at least 1,537 recorded cases—the highest figure in the past ten years. This represents an over 86% increase compared to the previous year (823 cases) and surpasses the ten-year annual average.

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Urmia: Baha’i Citizen Zhinus Mohammad-Nezhad Arrested

HRANA – On Tuesday, October 14, Zhinus Mohammad-Nezhad, a Baha’i citizen residing in Urmia, was arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and transferred to an undisclosed location. At the same time, her home and her parents’ residence were searched by the agents.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, her arrest took place on Tuesday, October 14, at her home on in Urmia, when Ministry of Intelligence agents detained her. Simultaneously, both her home and her elderly parents’ nearby residence were searched. During the searches, several personal belongings of the Mohammad-Nezhad family were confiscated.

So far, no information has been made available regarding the reasons for her arrest, her place of detention, or the charges brought against this Baha’i citizen.

Over the past decade, the Iranian Bahá’í community has been disproportionately targeted by Iran’s security forces and judiciary, more than any other minority group. In the past three years, an average of 72 percent of the reports on religious rights violations collected by HRANA have documented the Iranian regime’s repression of the Bahá’í community.

Three Prisoners Executed in Adelabad Prison of Shiraz

Yesterday, Wednesday, October 15, the death sentences of three prisoners were carried out in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of two of those executed as Milad Jahani and Sajjad Shahriari Golmakani. Jahani had previously been arrested on charges related to drug offenses and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Shahriari was arrested about nine years ago on charges of killing his wife and was subsequently sentenced to death by a criminal court.

A source close to Shahriari’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating:
“The victim’s family had announced they were willing to grant forgiveness in exchange for diya (blood money). The requested amount was initially 3 billion tomans, which was later increased to 5, 8, and finally 12 billion tomans. Due to the family’s inability to raise the amount, his execution was ultimately carried out this morning.”

The third prisoner was also executed on drug-related charges, but HRANA is still investigating his identity.

According to HRANA’s statistics, in 2024, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz witnessed the execution of 92 inmates, an 88% increase compared to the previous year. This sharp rise places Adelabad as the second deadliest prison in Iran after Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Protest Against the Wave of Executions; Prisoners at Ghezel Hesar Continue Sit-In and Hunger Protest

HRANA – Since Monday, October 13, hundreds of prisoners in Karaj’s Ghezel Hesar Prison, at least in wards 1 and 2, have refused to accept their prison meals and begun a sit-in inside their ward halls to protest the sharp rise in executions.

Recently, HRANA reported that 1,537 people had been executed in Iran over the past year, marking an increase of more than 86% compared to the previous year. During this period, 183 executions took place in Ghezel Hesar prison.

Inmates in this prison have continued their sit-in and hunger protest for the second consecutive day. Based on information obtained by HRANA, prisoners in wards 1 and 2 began their protest two days ago by refusing prison food in response to the intensifying wave of executions. These wards mainly hold prisoners convicted of drug-related offenses.

The protest coincided with the transfer of 16 prisoners to solitary confinement in preparation for their execution. It is worth noting that Ghezel Hesar Prison has witnessed a significant surge in executions in recent weeks.

Two Prisoners Executed in Dezful Prison

HRANA – At dawn on Sunday, October 12, two prisoners were executed in Dezful Prison.

HRANA has confirmed the identity of one of the prisoners as Hamid Abdali. Separately, Iran Human Rights has reported the identity of the other prisoner as Saadi Khalifeh, 36, a resident of Dezful.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Abdali had previously been arrested on charges of murder and later sentenced to death by the Criminal Court. Khalifeh was also arrested in 2018 on a murder charge and subsequently sentenced to death by the same court.

As of the time of this report, the execution of these prisoners has not been announced by prison officials or other relevant authorities.

According to HRANA reports, in 2024, only 6% of executions were announced by official bodies or domestic media outlets. Over the past five years, 77% of executions have gone unreported—commonly referred to as secret executions. In some of these cases, the lack of transparency is so severe that the death-row prisoners are denied even the chance for a final visit with their families.

Baha’i Citizen Sonia Toudiee Arrested in Babol

HRANA – On Sunday, October 12, Sonia Toudiee, a Baha’i citizen residing in Babol, was arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, Ms. Toudiee was detained on the evening of Sunday, October 12, in Babol County. At the time of her arrest, security agents searched her residence, seizing a number of her personal belongings.

As of this report’s publication, the reasons for her arrest, her current whereabouts, and the charges against her remain unknown.

Previously, on May 17, 2025, Ms. Toudiee’s home was searched by security forces.

Sonia Toudiee is a Baha’i citizen residing in Babol, Mazandaran Province.

Over the past decade, the Iranian Bahá’í community has been disproportionately targeted by Iran’s security forces and judiciary—more than any other minority group. In the past three years, an average of 72 percent of the reports on religious rights violations collected by HRANA have documented the Iranian regime’s repression of the Bahá’í community.