A group of nine Iranian prisoners has reportedly been executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, west of the capital Tehran.

The executions were carried out in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with the prisoners facing a range of charges, including murder, drug-related offenses, and armed robbery.

Of the executed prisoners, two have been identified as Bahman Fat’hollahzadeh and Rasoul Teimouri, who were imprisoned on drug-related charges.

What adds to the gravity of the situation is that the execution of the prisoners has not been officially announced by prison authorities or responsible organizations, categorizing them as "secret executions” as reported by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Group executions have been previously documented in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, including the execution of six prisoners on Thursday, November 1, and the execution of 10 prisoners on October 18.

Simultaneously, the Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported the execution of another prisoner in Kermanshah Prison, located in the western part of Iran. He was identified as Farhad Aghaie, 32, who had previously been sentenced to execution on charges of murder.

Following the amendment of the drug control law in 2017, under international pressure, the number of drug-related executions in Iran had decreased to an average of 26 cases per year. However, in 2021, the trend was reversed, resulting in a notable increase in such executions.

Amnesty International's recent report said from January 1, 2012, to July 31, 2023, over 5,000 individuals, including at least 57 children, have been either executed or sentenced to death in Iran.