| HEADLINE |
|
Iran executes 20 Afghan citizens
Published : Sunday, 30 August, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
Iran executed at least 20 Afghan nationals by hanging since the beginning of 2026, human rights organizations reported.
Reports reviewed by rights groups show that at least one Afghan citizen was executed almost every month this year.
The charges include drug trafficking, murder, spying for Israel, and participating in anti-government protests.
Afghan news agency Khaama Press reported that rights groups questioned whether the accused received fair trials. Concerns were also raised regarding access to defense lawyers and judicial transparency.
Reports noted that at least three other Afghan citizens were recently sentenced to death on similar charges.
Human rights organizations in Iran expressed deep concern over the lack of transparent monitoring, restricted access to legal representation, and the absence of due process.
In many cases, authorities failed to inform families about their relatives' legal status or impending executions.
Most documented executions occurred in Shiraz Adelabad Prison, Taybad Prison, Yazd Prison, and Isfahan Dastgerd Prison.
Drug-related offenses accounted for a significant portion of the executions, alongside charges of murder, espionage, and anti-government activity.
Recent cases include the Alikhani Square case in Isfahan, where two cousins, Gol Mohammad Mohammadi and Qayyum Hosseini, were sentenced to death following trial. The case was linked to anti-government protests in Iran earlier in January.
In July, three other Afghan citizens - Afshar Shah-Ahmadi, Iman Shafai, and Sadruddin Ahmadzadeh - were executed. Rights groups Human Rights Iran and Hengaw confirmed they were convicted over involvement in burning down a police station.
Human rights groups stressed that concerns extend beyond the executions to how investigations are conducted.
They questioned whether defendants received adequate legal counsel, whether families were notified, and whether the accused had the opportunity to present a defense.
Rights organizations claimed a significant number of executions in Iran are carried out without official public announcements, making it difficult to determine the exact number of Afghan victims.
According to data from Hengaw, Iran executed at least 85 Afghan nationals in 2025.
Meanwhile, critics questioned the Taliban administration's lack of visible diplomatic efforts to intervene on behalf of Afghan citizens facing execution in Iran.
-SA
Loading...
Loading...
Also read
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
