Iran | Executions in Bandar Abbas, Shiraz, Jiroft, Zahedan, Ramhormoz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 20, 2023: Abdolghafour Mahmoudi, Mohammadhossein Tashtzar and Ali Payam were executed for drug-related charges in Bandar Abbas Central Prison.

According to Haal Vsh, three men including two Baluch minorities, were executed in Bandar Abbas Central Prison on 19 November. Their identities have been reported as Abdolghafour Mahmoudi and Mohammadhossein Tashtzar, two Baluch minorities from Kahnuj, and Ali Payam (Maleki) from Bandar Abbas.

The three men were co-defendants who were arrested for drug-related charges around four years ago and sentenced to death by the Bandar Abbas Revolutionary Court.

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 2-5% 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 Shiraz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 20, 2023: Yasin Zeinoldini, a Baluch man sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was executed in Shiraz Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a Baluch man was executed in Shiraz Central Prison (Adel Abad) on 19 November. His identity has been established as 30-year-old Yasin Zeinoldini from Sarbaz.

Yasin was arrested for drug-related charges six years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court. According to IIHRNGO sources, his death sentence had been overturned by the Supreme Court but he was resentenced to death at retrial. He was transferred for execution on 18 November from Ward 4 of the prison.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Executions in Jiroft, Zahedan

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 17, 2023: Fahim Moghabeli and Mohsen Gomashadzehi, two Baluch men, were executed in Jiroft and Zahedan Central Prisons.

According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Jiroft Prison on 11 November. His identity has been reported as 24-year-old Fahim Moghabeli who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. He was arrested around two and a half years ago and had denied the charges.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Furthermore, state media have reported the execution of another Baluch man on 14 November. Identified as Mohsen Gomshadzehi, he was called a “hooligan” by a state official. Reported by Javan Online, Mohsen Gomashadzehi is alleged to have killed two policemen around ten years ago.

While the report does not specify the exact charges, “hooligan” is usually used for those sentenced to death for moharebeh (enmity against god) charges. According to Haal Vsh, his execution was carried out in Zahedan Central Prison.

Man executed in Ramhormoz

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 17, 2023: Abdolkhalegh Parvizi was executed for drug-related charges in Ramhormoz Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least one man was executed in Ramhormoz Prison in Khuzestan province on 12 November. His identity has been established as Abdolkhalegh Parvizi who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.

IHRNGO has received information about the execution of two other men for murder charges that day which it has not been able to verify at the time of writing.

At the time of writing, Abdolkhalegh’s execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, November 17-20, 2023

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