Two Afghan inmates executed in Iran, raising human rights concerns
Iran executed two Afghan nationals alongside four Iranians, drawing strong condemnation from rights groups amid escalating concerns over capital punishment practices.
Iran has executed six individuals, including two Afghan nationals, in prisons located in Mashhad and Shiraz, according to a statement released by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights on Wednesday, June 11.
The two Afghan prisoners—identified as Salim from Kabul and Ali Maleki from Jowzjan—were executed at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad on Saturday. They had been sentenced to death three years ago by the Iranian judiciary on drug-related charges.
The rights group also reported that two Iranian citizens, Jafar Veysi and Yashar Haqparast, were executed at the same facility on the same day, facing similar charges.
In a separate incident, Ayoub Samadi and Mojtaba Taheri—both Iranian nationals—were executed at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. Their sentences were handed down for charges of premeditated murder and drug offenses.
Hengaw stated that all individuals had previously been convicted through Iran’s judicial system, which continues to face criticism from international rights groups for lack of transparency and fair trial guarantees.
In an earlier report dated June 1, Hengaw revealed that Iranian authorities executed at least 163 prisoners in May 2025 alone, including seven Afghan nationals. The rapid pace of executions has raised alarm among human rights defenders worldwide.
These incidents underscore ongoing international concerns about Iran’s use of the death penalty, particularly against foreign nationals and individuals convicted of non-violent crimes. Calls for legal reform and moratoriums on executions continue to grow.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have urged Iran to halt executions and ensure due process rights for all detainees. Afghanistan’s embassy in Tehran has not yet issued a formal response.
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