Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 27, 2023: Four more men are reported to have been executed for drug-related charges in Birjand Central Prison on Thursday, increasing the number of executions that day at the prison to five people.
According to Hal Vash, four men including a Baluch minority were executed in Birjand Central Prison on 26 October. Their identities have been reported as 55-year-old Mohammad Nabi Shahuzehi (Baluch), Mohammad Mirshah, Reza Shahraki and Omid Javini. All four men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
Mohammad Nabi Shahuzehi was Baluch and from Dargian village in Zahedan. He was the maternal uncle of Khodanour Lajei, a protester killed in Zahedan’s Bloody Friday on 30 September 2022. He was arrested for drug-related charges three years ago and sentenced to death.
Another Baluch man, Abdolbasir Mohammadani, was executed at the prison on the same day (see below). He had been arrested for drug-related charges four years ago.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Ethnic minorities, the Baluch in particular, are grossly overrepresented in execution numbers in Iran. In 2022, at least 174 Baluch minorities including 3 women, were executed in 22 prisons across Iran, making up 30% of overall executions. This is while they represent just 2-6% of Iran’s population. Furthermore, at least 274 Baluch people have been executed for drug-related charges since 2021, 40% of all drug executions in that time period.
Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years. At least 305 people were executed for drug-related charges between 1 January-10 October 2023, a 69% increase compared to the same period in 2022, and the number of drug-related executions in 2023 were close to 20 times higher than 2020.
The number of drug executions dramatically dropped in 2018 following a 2017 Amendment to the Anti-Narcotics Laws. Consequently, drug executions ranged between 24-30 per annum between 2018-2020. The Amendment was reversed in practice in 2021 when executions increased ten-fold to 126 in 2021 and doubled again in 2022 with 256 drug-related executions. On 13 September 2023, IHRNGO reported a 94% rise in the number of drug-related executions in the year following the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in September 2022.
Man executed in Birjand
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 26, 2023: Abdolbasir Mohammadani, a Baluch man sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was executed in Birjand Central Prison.
According to Hal Vash, at least one Baluch man was executed in Bijand Central Prison on 26 October. His identity has been reported as 30-year-old Abdolbasir Mohammadani (Rend) who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.
An informed source said: “Abdolbasir was arrested for drug-related charges four years ago and sentenced to death by the Birjand Revolutionary Court around two years ago. He was transferred to solitary confinement a day prior to his execution.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Executions in Karaj
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 26, 2023: State media have reported the execution of two unidentified men for murder in Ghezel Hesar Prison.
According to Hamshahri Online, two men were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on 25 October. The unidentified men were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.
One of the men was accused of killing two women after a financial dispute on 19 October 2018. The second man was also accused of killing a woman in the summer of 2021.
Those charged with the umbrella term of “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) regardless of intent or circumstances due to a lack of grading in law.
Once a defendant has been convicted, as the plaintiffs, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.
Man executed in Qazvin
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 25, 2023: Jalil Seyed Rezaei, a man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed in Qazvin Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Qazvin Central Prison on 25 October. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Jalil Seyed Rezaei who was sentenced to qisas for murder.
Informed sources said: “Jalil Seyed Rezaei was a father of one and had been arrested three years ago. He was a car salesman prior to his arrest.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
Man executed in Kerman
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 25, 2023: Hayatollah Eiduzehi, a Baluch man sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was executed in Kerman Central Prison.
According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 25 October. His identity has been reported as 30-year-old Hayatollah Eiduzehi from Zahedan and he was sentence to death for drug-related charges.
Informed sources said: “Hayatollah was arrested for drug-related charges in Kerman five years ago but no drugs had been found. He denied the charges in court but the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death. He had a last visit with his family the day prior.”
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
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