IRAN: PRISONER HANGED ON DRUG CHARGES

January 2, 2017: A prisoner identified as Nosrat Khazai was reportedly hanged at Ghazvin's central prison (northern Iran) on drug related charges.
According to the human rights news agency HRANA, Nosrat Khazai's execution was carried out on January 2 for the charges of possession and trafficking one kilogram crystal meth. Mr. Khazai was reportedly held in prison for five years before he was executed.
Mr. Khazai's family members were reportedly able to visit him in prison the day before his execution, but they were not aware or informed by the Iranian authorities that he would be executed the next day.
The day before his execution, they gave his family a prison visit, but none of them knew that his death sentence would be carried out the next day. Even in his case file it stated that his death sentence was postponed pending further review. However, after the prison visit, they transferred him to solitary confinement and executed him the next day.
Iranian official sources, including the Judiciary and the media, have been silent about this execution. (Sources: Iran Human Rights, 03/01/2017)