The arrest, detention, and execution of individuals under such conditions represent a grave breach of fundamental human rights.

The identity of the prisoner has been confirmed by the Balochistan Human Rights Group as Hassan Narouei, approximately 27 years old, son of Alireza, and a native of Sarakhs County.

According to informed sources, Hassan Narouei was arrested in the autumn of 2020 in Mashhad on charges of “murder” by military forces. After judicial proceedings, he was sentenced to death by the court.

According to one of his relatives, following his transfer to Sarakhs Prison, his family was summoned on Wednesday, 18 February (29 Bahman) for a final visit, during which they were able to see him for the last time.

Based on the Balochistan Human Rights Group’s 2025 annual report, at least 137 executions of Baloch prisoners were recorded in 27 different prisons across Iran. Zahedan Prison recorded the highest number, with 34 executions. Of those executed, 94 individuals (approximately 68.6%) were convicted on drug-related charges, 36 individuals (approximately 26.3%) on murder charges, 4 individuals (approximately 2.9%) on political and ideological charges, 2 individuals (approximately 1.5%) on rape charges, and 1 individual (approximately 0.7%) on an unspecified charge.

Execution of a Baloch Citizen in Zahedan Central Prison

According to the Balochistan Human Rights Group, in the early morning of Sunday, January 27, 2026 (5 Bahman 1404), the death sentence of a Baloch citizen who had previously been convicted of murder was carried out at Zahedan Central Prison.

The identity of the executed Baloch prisoner has been reported as Mohammad Nohani, approximately 47 years old, son of Bahlor, married and a father, from Basut village in the Bahukalat area of Dashtiari County.

Based on reports by Hal Vash, Mohammad Nohani was arrested in 2013 following a raid by security forces on his private residence and was later sentenced to death on charges of “murder” through judicial proceedings.

It is reported that on Thursday afternoon, January 23, 2026 (2 Bahman 1404), he was transferred to solitary confinement at Zahedan Central Prison. His family was not informed of the exact time of the execution and, as in many similar cases, was denied the opportunity for a final visit.

The identity of the Baloch prisoner has been reported as Mansour Rigi (Chakerzehi), 38 years old, son of Nik Mohammad, married and the father of four children, originally from Zahedan.

According to this report, he was arrested in June 2024 in Zahedan and, after a few days, transferred to Semnan Prison. At the time of his arrest, no drugs were found in his possession, and his case was linked to another in which drugs had been seized from other individuals in Semnan province. During the judicial proceedings, statements and alleged confessions attributed to other defendants were used as the main evidence against him. Additionally, two individuals were introduced as witnesses in the case, who were reportedly executed about five months ago.

It is reported that the initial sentence issued for Mansour Rigi had at one stage been reduced by one degree. However, on Saturday, 28 December, he was transferred to the quarantine ward of Semnan Prison, and on Sunday, 29 December , he had his final visit with his family. Ultimately, at dawn today, his execution was carried out—an action that once again highlights concerns about judicial procedures, the use of indirect confessions, and the disregard for the right to a fair trial for Baluch prisoners.

It should be noted that in 2024, at least 111 Baloch prisoners were executed on various charges in 23 different cities across Iran. Of these, 83 individuals were executed on charges related to “drug offenses,” 25 individuals on charges of “murder,” and the charges in 3 cases remain unknown.

The organization stated that the arrest was aimed at pressuring his father, resulting in widespread violations of his fundamental rights, with his life and health still at risk.

Mahmoud Balochi Razi, son of Abdulghani and from Surmich Chanf village, was detained by intelligence forces from Kerman Province during a raid on his school in Chanf district, Nikshahr county. The arrest occurred without a judicial warrant, in front of students and school staff.

For several days afterward, his family had no information about his whereabouts, and authorities refused to respond.

Amnesty International reported that the Baloch child was subjected to torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment during detention to force his father to surrender. He was beaten during interrogations and coerced into calling his family to say his release depended on his father’s surrender.

Later, he was taken to the prosecutor and forced to sign documents without being allowed to read or understand them. He has been denied access to a lawyer since the start, and his rights as a child have been completely ignored, in violation of domestic laws and international obligations.

Mahmoud is currently held in a juvenile correction center in Kerman Province, about 800 km from his family, adding further psychological pressure on him and his relatives.

Amnesty International described the detention as clear hostage-taking, a serious violation of child rights, and a gross breach of Iran’s international commitments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It holds security and judicial authorities fully responsible for any physical or psychological harm.

She stated that while the payment of diya (blood money) and the saving of this prisoner’s life is a hopeful measure, the “institutional and structural injustices” that brought Kouhkan to the brink of execution still persist.

In her statement, Sato recalled that Goli Kouhkan was forced into marriage as a child and had been subjected to years of domestic violence—violence that is still not effectively criminalized in Iran.

According to the UN Special Rapporteur, Kouhkan’s case reflects a widespread pattern of discrimination against women within Iran’s judicial system. Between 2010 and 2024, at least 241 women have been executed in Iran, and in 114 cases, women convicted of murdering their husband or partner were themselves victims of domestic violence, child marriage, or acting in self-defense.

Sato emphasized that the extensive global attention on this case, including coverage in international media like The Guardian, must not lead to the neglect of the fate of dozens of other women whose cases are never seen or heard.

She concluded by referencing the conflict between the qisas (retribution) system and international human rights standards, calling for the complete abolition of the death penalty and the provision of effective mechanisms to protect women’s rights in Iran.

This unexpected development came at a time when Kouhkan and her family had only until the end of December to raise the substantial amount of blood money (diya) demanded by the victim’s family. Civil society groups and citizens had been actively fundraising in recent days amid fears that the execution might be carried out.

Case Background

Goli Kouhkan was forced into marriage with her cousin at the age of 12 and, according to relatives, endured years of severe domestic violence. In 2018, during a family altercation that resulted in her husband’s death, she was arrested and later charged with “participation in murder,” ultimately receiving a qisas sentence.

Human Rights Concerns

According to UN human rights experts, this case exemplified:

• structural discrimination against women,
• forced and child marriage,
• prolonged domestic violence,
• unfair judicial proceedings and lack of access to legal counsel,
• and coerced confessions.

They had previously warned against carrying out the sentence.

Blood Money Negotiations and the Family’s Pardon

Initially, the victim’s family set two conditions for granting forgiveness:

• payment of 10 billion tomans in blood money, and
• Kouhkan’s permanent relocation from the city of Gorgan.

Subsequent negotiations reduced the amount to 8 billion tomans, a sum still impossible for her family and supporters to raise, increasing fears that the execution might proceed.

However, in an unexpected turn, the victim’s family announced today that they were pardoning Kouhkan unconditionally. In a video message, the victim’s father said they chose to forgo retribution “in honor of the status of mothers.”

Social Significance of the Case

Goli Kouhkan’s case had become a symbol of domestic violence, forced marriage, economic hardship, and the lack of protective mechanisms for women in Iran.

Many observers view her rescue from execution as the result of:

• public support and social solidarity,
• the efforts of civil society organizations,
• and the compassionate decision of the victim’s family.

The identities of the two executed Baloch prisoners have been reported as Ali Barahouei, 36 years old, son of Habib, married with a child, and Behzad Mazarezehi, 30 years old, son of Ne’matollah, married with two children, both originally from Mashhad.

According to this report, Ali and Behzad were arrested in a joint case in 2019 in Birjand by military forces and were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of this city.

It is worth noting that in 2024, at least 111 Baloch prisoners were executed in 23 different cities across Iran on various charges. Among them, 83 people were executed on drug-related charges, 25 on murder charges, and the charges of 3 individuals remain unknown.

In Bam prison, Keyvan Shahbakhsh, 30, married and father of one child from the Domak area of Zahedan, who had been arrested in 2021 on drug-related charges, was executed after being transferred to solitary confinement.

In Bandar Abbas prison, Yusef Jamshidi (Sohrabi), 22, from Kehnan-Sarni village in Minab, who had been arrested in 2022 during a group altercation and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind), was executed this morning after his final visit with his family. His family was unable to hire an independent lawyer or pay the required blood money due to financial hardship.

Additionally, in Isfahan Central Prison, at dawn on Monday, December 1, Abdollah Barahoui (Seyed Ali), 39, a father of two from Zahedan, and Mehrdad Espid (Kourosh), 38, from Bandar Abbas, who were arrested in 2020 in a joint drug-related case, were executed.

It is worth noting that, according to the 2024 annual report of the Balochistan Human Rights Group, at least 111 Baloch prisoners were executed across 23 cities in Iran on various charges. Of these, 83 were executed on drug-related charges, 25 on murder charges, while the charges in 3 cases remain unknown.

The identity of this individual is reported as Parviz Reigi, approximately 30 years old, son of Qoddus, married, and a resident of the Shireabad area of Zahedan.

According to the report, Parviz Reigi was arrested about three years ago in Zahedan on charges of murdering his wife and, after completing judicial procedures in the Zahedan Criminal Court, was sentenced to qisas (execution).

It is also noted that in 2024, at least 111 baloch prisoners were executed on various charges in 23 different cities across Iran, with 83 executed on drug-related charges, 25 on murder charges, and the charges of 3 cases remaining unknown.