Iran | Baloch political prisoner Abduljalil Shahbakhsh secretly executed 55 days after arrest

Hengaw – Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Iranian authorities have secretly executed Baloch political prisoner Abduljalil Shahbakhsh at Zahedan Central Prison just 55 days after his arrest during the 40-day war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. Shahbakhsh, from Taftan County in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, had been accused of “baghi” (armed rebellion) through alleged membership in Ansar al-Furqan, as well as espionage for Israel. Detailed information regarding his case remains limited.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Shahbakhsh was executed at dawn on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, without prior notice to his family. Legal examination of the case indicates that the judicial process leading to his execution was carried out in complete opacity and accompanied by serious violations of fair trial standards, including denial of access to an independent lawyer throughout both interrogation and court proceedings.

The unusually rapid process culminating in his execution less than two months after arrest raises serious concerns regarding the legality and credibility of the verdict. Available information suggests that the case was handled entirely within the framework of security institutions, with no transparency regarding evidence, judicial proceedings, or access to legal defense.

Mizan News Agency, the official media outlet of the Iranian judiciary, confirmed the execution and claimed that Shahbakhsh had been convicted of “baghi” through armed operations and membership in the armed group Ansar al-Furqan. The agency also published a 16-second video containing forced confessions recorded during detention. In the footage, Shahbakhsh states that he was present during an armed clash in the village of Chah Ahmad in Taftan that resulted in the killing of Nematollah Qanbarzehi (Shahbakhsh).

Earlier, on March 19, 2026, the state-affiliated Fars News Agency reported the killing of Nematollah Qanbarzehi, son of Mousa, and the arrest of four others alongside him. The outlet claimed the detainees had been arrested during a joint operation involving the IRGC Ground Forces, the Ministry of Intelligence, and Iranian police forces on accusations of “espionage” and “collaboration with Israel.”

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights strongly condemns the execution of Abduljalil Shahbakhsh only 55 days after his arrest and emphasizes that reliance on “forced confessions” extracted during interrogations in security detention centers carries no legal or judicial legitimacy. Hengaw considers the execution a clear example of state-sanctioned killing and a systematic violation of international covenants on civil and political rights, and calls for an urgent international response to the renewed wave of political executions in Baluchestan.

Source: hengaw.net, Staff, May 12, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde

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