Iran Executes Seven Individuals on Charges of Terrorism and Armed Activity
Six of those executed were accused of participating in a “terrorist network linked to Israel,” while a seventh individual was executed in Kurdistan province on separate charges of armed activity.
Iran’s judiciary announced the execution of seven individuals at dawn on Saturday, October 4, 2025 (12 Mehr 1404), in what it described as the implementation of rulings against members of armed and separatist groups. Six of those executed were accused of participating in a “terrorist network linked to Israel,” while a seventh individual was executed in Kurdistan province on separate charges of armed activity and “corruption on earth.”
The names of the six men executed in Khuzestan are Adnan Ghabishavi, Mohammadreza Moghaddam, Ali Mojadam, Habib Deris, Moein Khanfari, and Salem Mousavi. According to a statement published by Iran’s Judiciary Media Center, the six men were convicted of “designing and executing multiple armed operations” that, according to officials, targeted the security of Khuzestan province. The judiciary claimed the group was responsible for “killing four security officers, bombing a gas station in Khorramshahr, and carrying out several armed attacks and bombings.” It also stated that the verdicts were issued after all legal procedures and appeals had been completed and confirmed by the Supreme Court.
The judiciary identified the four security officers killed in the alleged operations as Allah Nazar Safari, Mohammadreza Rafieinasab, Ali Salehi Majd, and Younes Bahr. It further alleged that the executed individuals were in contact with “foreign hostile elements,” including Israel, and had received support from abroad. According to the statement, their activities included “building and planting bombs, attacking banks, throwing grenades at military centers, and shooting at mosques.” However, no further details about the evidence presented in court or the nature of the defendants’ legal representation were released.
In a separate case, Saman Mohammadi Khayareh was also executed in Kurdistan province. The judiciary stated that he had been convicted of moharebeh (waging war against God) and of participating in “terrorist and takfiri operations.” Officials linked him to the 2009 assassination of cleric Mamousta Mohammad Sheikh al-Islam in Sanandaj, as well as several other violent incidents, including armed attacks and robberies. State media reported that Khayareh had been arrested in 2013 after several years in hiding and that his death sentence, initially overturned by the Supreme Court, was later reinstated following a retrial.
The Iranian authorities emphasized that all seven executions were the result of extensive investigations and judicial proceedings. However, international human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concern about the lack of transparency and due process in Iran’s judicial system, particularly in cases involving political or security-related charges. Groups such as Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Amnesty International have warned that forced confessions extracted under torture and denial of access to legal counsel are frequent in such trials, raising serious doubts about the fairness of these proceedings.
These executions took place amid continuing tensions in Iran’s border provinces and a period of heightened regional instability. Officials maintain that the measures are necessary for national security, while critics argue they reflect the government’s increasing use of capital punishment as a political and security tool.
Iran has one of the highest execution rates in the world, with hundreds of cases carried out annually, many involving drug-related or security charges. The latest executions highlight the government’s continued reliance on capital punishment as a deterrent in cases it defines as threats to national stability. According to independent monitoring groups, more than 940 people have been executed in Iran since the beginning of 2025 — one of the highest execution rates globally.