According to the annual report of the Baloch Human Rights Group (BHRG), at least 111 Baloch citizens were executed in 23 cities of Iran in 2024. This statistic reflects the continuation of systematic repression and widespread human rights violations against the Baloch minority in Iran.
Violation of Fair Trials and Torture for Confessions
The report emphasizes that many of the executed Baloch were hanged without a fair trial and with violations of due process. In many cases, the defendants were deprived of independent legal counsel, tortured into making confessions, and courts issued death sentences without presenting sufficient evidence.
The families of some of the executed individuals reported to the BHRG network that their relatives denied the charges in court, but judges issued death sentences without thoroughly reviewing the case.
Execution Statistics in Different Cities
The report shows that the highest number of executions occurred in Zahedan, Yazd, and Birjand:
- Zahedan: 27 cases
- Yazd: 14 cases
- Birjand: 13 cases
Of the 111 individuals executed in 2024:
- 83 (74.8%) were executed for drug-related offenses
- 25 (22.5%) were executed for murder (qisas)
- 3 (2.7%) were executed on unspecified charges
Additionally, at least two of the executed individuals lacked identification documents such as birth certificates, and one had a mental illness and a red medical card.
Significant Increase in Executions in the Final Months of the Year
Statistics show that executions increased significantly in the last quarter of 2024. A total of 51 executions were recorded in this period, with December being the deadliest month for Baloch citizens, with 22 executions.
Execution distribution in the final months of the year:
- September: 14 executions
- October: 13 executions
- November: 16 executions
- December: 22 executions
Baloch Citizens: Victims of Systematic Discrimination and Widespread Executions
Despite making up only 5% of Iran’s population, Baloch people account for 30% of all executions in the country. This statistic reflects systematic discrimination and the use of the death penalty as a tool for suppressing this ethnic minority.
In conclusion, the Baloch Human Rights Group (BHRG) condemned the ongoing unjust executions and called on international organizations to take immediate action to halt these sentences and address the worsening human rights situation in Iran.
