According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 14 December. His identity has been reported as 38-year-old Kheirollah Nahtani from Zabol. He was a lorry driver who was arrested for drug-related charges in Zahedan over two years ago.
Kheirollah was released from prison on bail. At trial, he denied the charges against him but was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court. His execution was carried out without his family being notified, depriving him of the right to say goodbye.
At the time of writing, his execution has 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 Mashhad
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 15, 2023: Mosafer Zargar, a Baluch man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed in Mashhad Central Prison.
According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Mashhad Central Prison on 14 December. His identity has been reported as 29-year-old Mosafer Zargar from Zahedan.
Mosafer was arrested in Mashhad around six years ago and sentenced to qisas for murder by the Mashhad Criminal Court. He said goodbye to his family the day prior to his execution.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
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.
Execution in Isfahan
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); December 14, 2023: Vahid Hajipour was executed for drug-related charges in Isfahan Central Prison.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Isfahan Central Prison (Dastgerd) on 13 December. His identity has been established as 40-year-old Vahid Hajipour from Golpaygan.
Vahid was arrested for carrying 4 kilograms of morphine two years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.
At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
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