On October 6, 2024, Mahdi Barahoui, a juvenile offender from the Baloch community who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, was transferred to the quarantine section of Zahedan Central Prison for the execution of his sentence. Mahdi, who was 17 at the time of the crime, was arrested in 2019 for killing someone during a group altercation in the city of Khash. Following his arrest, he was sent to the Juvenile Detention Center in Zahedan. After two years, he was moved to Zahedan Central Prison and sentenced to death by the Juvenile Court of Sistan and Balochistan Province.
Reports indicate that prison officials moved Mahdi from Ward 3 to solitary confinement in preparation for the execution. His family was also brought to the prison for a final visit. The killing was reportedly accidental, occurring during a juvenile brawl, where Mahdi used a sharp object.
In 2023, at least 184 Baloch prisoners were executed in 26 cities across Iran, with Zahedan and Birjand prisons carrying out the highest number of executions. Among those executed, at least four were women.
