Iranian authorities executed an Afghan man who was unable to walk at Rafsanjan Central Prison, carrying out the sentence while he was in a wheelchair, the Kurdish human rights organisation Hengaw said, The Khaama Press News Agency reported on September 7.

The case adds to mounting criticism of Iran's use of capital punishment against foreign nationals, with rights monitors reporting a sharp rise in executions of Afghan prisoners since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Hengaw identified the prisoner as Wali Jan Norzai, an Afghan citizen from the western province of Farah. He was executed at dawn last week at the prison in Iran's Kerman province, the group said.

Norzai was detained roughly three years ago on a charge of premeditated murder, according to Hengaw. The organisation said he was shot directly by Iranian law enforcement officers during his arrest in Rafsanjan and left permanently unable to walk as a result of his injuries.

He spent the following three years in custody using a wheelchair, and the death sentence was carried out while he remained wheelchair-bound, Hengaw said.

At least 84 Afghan citizens were executed in Iran in 2025, one of the highest annual totals recorded for Afghan nationals, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights organisation.

Rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns about restricted access to legal representation for Afghan defendants, a lack of transparency in judicial proceedings and the disproportionate application of the death penalty to foreign nationals in Iran.

Advocates have called on Iranian authorities to disclose more information about death penalty cases involving Afghan citizens and to guarantee fair trial standards in line with international human rights obligations.

Iran hosts one of the world's largest Afghan migrant populations, many of whom lack legal residency documents.