Six Iranian Nationals Sentenced to Death in Yemen on Drug Trafficking Charges
Source: Al Arabiya Farsi – Published: October 23, 2025
Location: Hadramout Governorate, Yemen
The Special Criminal Court of Hadramout, located in southeastern Yemen, issued death sentences on Wednesday, October 30, 2025, against six Iranian nationals accused of trafficking narcotics. The verdict was announced in a public session of the primary criminal court, presided over by Judge Fahd Al-Yazidi.
According to Al Arabiya Farsi, the six defendants — Davood Mohammad Shah Morad, Ali Mohammad Mohammad Ali Abdullah, Abdulsamad Abdulqader Hussein Shorouq, Abdulnabi Pir Shorouq, Amin Salo Mousa Dadi, and Mohammad Hanif Jati Jamaat — were convicted of smuggling approximately three tons of hashish and methamphetamine (shabu) from Iran into Yemen.
The court stated that the defendants were apprehended after Yemeni naval forces intercepted a vessel within Yemeni territorial waters. The confiscated drugs were destroyed under the supervision of the Public Prosecution. The verdict further specifies that the executions will be carried out “by sword or by firing squad.”
Yemeni judicial authorities described the operation as part of their broader efforts to combat transnational organized crime and drug trafficking, which they claim finance illegal activities within the country.
However, human rights activists have expressed deep concern over the ruling, emphasizing that the imposition of the death penalty—particularly against foreign nationals—must comply with international fair trial standards, including the right to legal counsel, the presumption of innocence, and access to genuine appeals.
The Balochistan Human Rights Group calls on international human rights bodies, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), to urgently investigate the conditions under which these six Iranian citizens were tried and convicted. The organization further urges Yemeni authorities to suspend any planned executions until a full and transparent review of the case is conducted.
