Execution of At Least Six Prisoners in Zahedan Central Prison

In the early hours of Monday, September 9, 2024, the execution of at least six Baloch prisoners, one of whom was an Afghan national, was carried out in Zahedan Central Prison. These prisoners had been transferred to the prison’s quarantine section on September 7, 2024.

Identity of the Prisoners

According to reports, the identities of the executed prisoners are as follows:

1. Saeed Hassan-Zehi: 30 years old, son of Taj Mohammad, married with three children, and a resident of Zahedan. Saeed was arrested in 2020 during a raid by security forces at his home on Shahid Mazari Street in Zahedan, on charges related to drug offenses. He was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Zahedan.
2. Farzad Sancholi: 29 years old, son of Gholam, married with three children, originally from Zabol and residing in Zahedan. Farzad was arrested in Zabol four years ago on certain charges and was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Zabol. He was transferred to Zahedan Central Prison two years ago. On Sunday, September 8, 2024, his family was called by the prison authorities for a final visit.
3. Noor Mohammad Noori (Nurzehi): Afghan national, son of Seyed Mohammad, married with children, and a resident of Nimruz province, Afghanistan. He was arrested in August 2022 at the Milak Border Terminal in Zabol on drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Zabol. He was transferred to Zahedan Central Prison in June 2023.
4. A prisoner with the surname Roudini: A resident of Zahedan.

The exact identities and charges of the other prisoners, who are reported to be Baloch, remain unknown at the time of this report.

Reports indicate that in 2023, at least 184 Baloch prisoners were executed in 26 cities across Iran. Zahedan and Birjand prisons recorded the highest numbers of executions, with 54 and 31 cases respectively. Among these prisoners, at least four were women.

These statistics reflect a significant increase in executions among Baloch prisoners in Iran, raising widespread concerns among human rights activists.