Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); June 6, 2022: 12 Baluch minorities including a woman were executed on murder and drug-related charges in Zahedan Central Prison today.
According to Hal Vash, eleven Baluch men and a Baluch woman were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on June 6. Of the 12, six were sentenced to death for drug-related charges and six were sentenced to qisas(retribution-in-kind) for murder.
Identities of drug-related executions:
Identities of qisas executions:
All twelve prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions on June 4.
At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
According to reports compiled by Iran Human Rights, at least 126 people were executed on drug-related charges in 2021, a fivefold increase compared to drug executions in the previous three years. None of the 2021 drug-related executions were reported by official sources. Data gathered by Iran Human Rights also shows that Baluch prisoners accounted for 21% of all executions in 2021, while only representing 2–6% of Iran’s population.
In 2021, at least 183 people were executed on murder charges. 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, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.