Probable Baluch Child Offender Meisam Irandegani Hanged for Murder in Iranshahr

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Iranshahr Prison on 21 July 2026. His identity has been established as Meisam Irandegani, a young Baluch man from Khash.

He was arrested in May 2022 and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Meisam had unintentionally killed an individual following an altercation at the repair shop where he worked while attempting to defend his grandfather. After the incident, he turned himself in to judicial authorities and spent time in the Zahedan Correction and Rehabilitation Centre. Meisam was later transferred to Iranshahr Prison.”

Given statements from informed sources regarding his initial detention in a juvenile facility and his reported age of 14 at the time of the offence, Meisam Irandegani was likely under 18 years of age at the time of the alleged offence. However, IHRNGO has been unable to independently verify Meisam’s age at the time of offence or execution through official documentary evidence at the time of writing.

Meisam's 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, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.

Crucially, while an indicative diya amount is set by the Judiciary every year, there is no legal limit to how much can be demanded by families of the victims. IHRNGO has recorded many cases where defendants are executed because they cannot afford to pay the blood money. Should the victim’s family choose execution, they are not only encouraged to attend, but also to physically carry out the execution themselves.

According to IHRNGO’s 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 747 people including 48 women, were executed for murder charges, the highest number of qisas executions since 2010. Under 7% of the recorded qisas executions were announced by official sources. In 2025, IHRNGO also recorded 566 cases of families choosing diya or forgiveness instead of qisas executions.