Baloch Woman Imprisoned in Evin Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

According to the Balochistan Human Rights Group, today, Friday, September 11, 2026, Nasimeh Eslam-Zehi, a Sunni Baloch security prisoner held in Evin Prison, was sentenced to 25 years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati.

According to the verdict delivered to Ms. Eslam-Zehi earlier this week, she was sentenced to 25 years in prison on the charge of “assisting in the crime of baghi” (armed rebellion). Her husband, Arslan Sheikhi, and Amanj Karvanchi, the other defendants in the case, had previously been sentenced to death on charges of “baghi through membership in ISIS,” and their executions were subsequently carried out.

According to an informed source, Nasimeh Eslam-Zehi appeared at three court hearings before Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court during the proceedings. She denied all charges against her, emphasizing that she had never been a member of any group and had not cooperated with any group. The source also stated that during this period, several lawyers approached the court to represent her, but Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court refused to accept them, and the case was handled with the presence of a court-appointed lawyer.

Previously, some official Iranian media outlets had reported that Nasimeh Eslam-Zehi and two other defendants in the case had been sentenced to death. However, according to the recent verdict, she has been sentenced to 25 years in prison on the charge of “assisting in the crime of baghi.” Ms. Eslam-Zehi had previously been sentenced to three years and six months in prison by the Criminal Court in another part of her case.

Nasimeh Eslam-Zehi was arrested in September 2023 along with her husband, Arslan Sheikhi. During the preliminary investigation stage, the couple were charged on suspicion of membership in the militant group ISIS. According to an informed source, Nasimeh Eslam-Zehi was merely the wife of Arslan Sheikhi and was present at their home when security forces arrived to arrest her husband. She was also arrested at that time.

Nasimeh Eslam-Zehi, approximately 42 years old, is the mother of two daughters. Aisha, the couple’s daughter, was approximately two years old when her parents were arrested. She was separated from her mother at the time of the arrest, and the family was informed that the child had been transferred to the State Welfare Organization. After following up on the matter, Nasimeh’s family succeeded in obtaining custody of Aisha.

In early May 2024, Nasimeh Eslam-Zehi gave birth to her second child, Tasnim, in Evin Prison. Following the birth, the mother and newborn were held for 40 days in a solitary confinement cell under unsuitable conditions, without adequate ventilation or sufficient natural light. They were subsequently transferred to the quarantine ward of Evin Prison.

asimeh Eslam-Zehi gave birth to her second child, Tasnim, in Evin Prison. Following the birth, the mother and newborn were held for 40 days in a solitary confinement cell under unsuitable conditions, without adequate ventilation or sufficient natural light. They were subsequently transferred to the quarantine ward of Evin Prison.

Today, Nasser Boladai, Secretary General of the Baloch People’s Party, issued a statement in response to recent international calls urging humanitarian consideration for prisoners facing execution in Iran. He called on the global community and international leaders to adopt a broader and more consistent approach to human rights by also addressing the situation in Balochistan.
In his message, he welcomed the emphasis on the value of human life, compassion, and justice, stressing that such principles must be applied equally in all cases of human rights violations. Nasser Boladai specifically highlighted the situation of Mahrang Baloch, a prominent human rights activist and a leading voice of peaceful advocacy, who remains in detention.
He noted that Mahrang Baloch, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, has become an internationally recognized advocate for human dignity and the rights of the people of Balochistan. He called for urgent international attention to her case, as well as to other detained members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.
Boladai further emphasized that the continued detention of civil and human rights activists not only raises serious international concerns but also poses a significant obstacle to dialogue, peace, and long-term stability in the region. He urged the Pakistani authorities to uphold humanitarian principles and fundamental rights by ensuring the release of these activists and by adopting dialogue and reconciliation instead of security-driven approaches.
The statement concludes by underscoring that support for human rights, justice, and peace must not be confined to any single geography, but should be upheld as universal values, equally respected and protected for all people, everywhere.

Honoring the Strength and Resilience of Baloch Women

Reported by the Balochistan Human Rights Group

On International Women’s Day, the world celebrates the achievements, courage, and resilience of women everywhere. On this day, we pay special tribute to the Baloch women, whose strength and determination continue to inspire despite decades of hardship and injustice.

Across Baloch regions, women have long endured the consequences of conflict, poverty, discrimination, and systemic neglect. Many have faced the painful reality of losing loved ones to violence, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances. Yet even in the face of profound suffering, Baloch women have emerged as powerful voices for justice, dignity, and human rights.

Baloch women play a vital role in their communities. They are mothers who protect the future of their families, daughters who carry the hopes of the next generation, and courageous advocates who refuse to remain silent in the face of injustice. Their resilience has become a symbol of strength for their communities and beyond.

As the world marks March 8, the Balochistan Human Rights Group calls on the international community, human rights organizations, and global institutions to recognize the struggles of Baloch women and to support their fundamental rights. Women everywhere deserve to live free from fear, discrimination, and violence.

The voices of Baloch women must be heard. Their dignity must be respected. Their rights must be protected.

On this International Women’s Day, we stand in solidarity with Baloch women and reaffirm our commitment to justice, equality, and human dignity for all.

Balochistan Human Rights Group
March 8 – International Women’s Day

41 Days of Detention and Uncertainty for a Baloch Citizen Following Nationwide Protests in Chabahar; Continued Lack of Response from Authorities

According to the Balochistan Human Rights Group, today, Wednesday 18 Feb 2026 , forty-one days have passed since the arrest of a Baloch citizen following the evening protests on 8 January 2026 , in the city of Chabahar. There is still no clear information regarding her legal status or fate, and despite repeated follow-ups, her family has received no convincing or transparent response from judicial and security authorities.

The identity of this Baloch citizen has been confirmed as Roya Raeisi , a 26-year-old resident of Chabahar.

According to informed sources, she was arrested by plainclothes security forces during anti-government protests while standing away from the main crowd and without participating in chanting slogans or engaging in protest activities. Despite more than forty days having passed, she remains in detention in a state of legal uncertainty.

Roya Raeisi is currently being held in Chabahar Prison. However, no official explanation has been provided regarding the charges against her, the legal grounds for her arrest, or the authority responsible for her case. Repeated visits by her relatives to judicial and security offices in Chabahar and Zahedan have been met with deflection, vague responses, and a lack of transparency. No precise information regarding the status or progress of her case has been made available to the family.

This situation constitutes a clear violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to personal liberty , the right to a fair and prompt trial , the prohibition of arbitrary detention , and the right to be informed of charges, all of which are guaranteed under international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Balochistan Human Rights Group expresses deep concern over the continued prolonged detention without formal charges and without access to legal counsel or regular contact with family members. The group calls for the immediate release of Roya Raeisi or the prompt referral of her case to a competent and independent court in full compliance with due process and her right to defense.

According to the annual report of the Balochistan Human Rights Group, at least 978 individuals were arrested in Balochistan during 2025. Among them, 394 individuals lacked identity documents or birth certificates. The report also recorded 19 cases of group arrests in which more than one person was detained simultaneously, and in 12 of those cases, more than five individuals were arrested in a single operation.

The Balochistan Human Rights Group once again emphasizes that arbitrary arrests, prolonged legal uncertainty of detainees, and the lack of accountability by authorities represent systematic human rights violations in the region of Balochistan and calls for an immediate end to these practices and accountability for the responsible officials.

The identity of this Baloch citizen has been confirmed by reliable sources as Marzieh Kamali (Bameri), 23 years old, daughter of Hossein, resident of Anbarabad County and a medical engineering student at Islamic Azad University in Kerman.

According to sources, Marzieh Kamali was shot in the waist by repressive forces on the evening of Friday, 9 January 2026, while in Bahmanyar Street in the city of Kerman during the suppression of protests, and died as a result of the severity of her injuries.

Sources added: Her body was handed over to the family on Saturday, 20 Dey, after threats and the extraction of a written commitment from them by the Kerman coroner’s office. She was buried in her hometown of Anbarabad County on the evening of the same day, around 19:30. The burial ceremony for this citizen was held under restrictions and in a highly securitized atmosphere, and the family was forced to bury her body without the possibility of public announcement or holding a large-scale ceremony.

It should be noted that nationwide protests began in early December 2025 with widespread citizen participation, initially starting in Tehran and quickly spreading to many other cities across the country within a short period. Concurrent with the expansion of the protests, numerous reports emerged indicating the killing of more than 36,500 protesters as a result of direct gunfire by military and security forces. In the course of this suppression, the Islamic Republic imposed a widespread internet shutdown on the evening of 18 Dey, an action that caused information about the situation on the ground, victims, and the scale of violence to leak out into the free information space only in a very limited, piecemeal, and delayed manner.

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 statement explains that Kouhkan, who lacks official identity documents, was forced into marriage at the age of 12 and gave birth at 13. She endured years of physical and psychological abuse. In 2018, after her husband violently assaulted her and their five-year-old son, he was killed during an altercation.

Iranian courts have sentenced Goli Kouhkan to qisas (retribution). The victim’s family has agreed to pardon her only in exchange for 10 billion tomans, an amount impossible for a Baloch woman without identification documents—who has also been disowned by her family—to obtain.

Mai Sato stresses: “Goli Kouhkan is a survivor of domestic violence who has become a victim of the judicial system. Her execution would represent a profound injustice. If carried out, the state would be executing a woman who spent years suffering gender-based violence and acted in defense of herself and her child.”

According to UN experts, between 2010 and 2024 (1389–1403), at least 241 women were executed in Iran, many of them women who killed abusive husbands or partners, often in self-defense.

Sato concludes: “The case of Goli Kouhkan clearly illustrates how gender discrimination and ethnic marginalization intersect, producing devastating injustices.”

Mahsa Zahedi was a well-known young makeup artist in Saravan. She worked alongside her sisters in a local beauty salon and was on the verge of becoming engaged—a transition her family and community anticipated with hope. Her sudden disappearance, just days before the scheduled ceremony, deeply alarmed both her family and the wider community. Family inquiries revealed that her final phone communications were with the same brother-in-law who later confessed to the crime.

According to BHRG sources, the perpetrator lured Mahsa out of her home, attacked and strangled her, and then disposed of her body by throwing it into a well. Mahsa’s family believes that additional individuals may have been involved in the crime. However, no specialized investigative measures have been undertaken to examine the possibility of accomplices or to clarify the perpetrator’s motives, leaving many crucial aspects unresolved.

The case is marked by serious procedural shortcomings. Police investigators have conducted no crime-scene reconstruction. Despite ten days having passed since Mahsa’s death, no forensic inspection has been carried out at the crime scene—which was the perpetrator’s own home. Prior to the killing, he had sent his family members to the home of his mother and sister. Moreover, no examination has been conducted of Mahsa’s home, personal belongings, vehicle, or workplace. These cumulative failures have heightened the family’s concern and fueled public distrust, raising grave doubts about the likelihood of achieving justice. Although the perpetrator has been transferred to prison, relatives report that he continues to communicate freely with others, while a full interrogation has yet to take place.

With Mahsa’s father deceased, the emotional burden and responsibility for pursuing the case now fall entirely on her mother, brother, and sisters. In addition to the trauma of losing their daughter and sister, they are confronted with institutional inaction and a lack of accountability from authorities.

Mahsa Zahedi’s death is not an isolated tragedy. It reflects a broader pattern long documented by human rights organizations: structural gender-based violence, killings linked to patriarchal norms, and the absence of effective protective and judicial mechanisms for women in Iran. Her killing underscores a deep crisis in the protection of women’s rights and highlights systemic barriers that continue to expose women to severe risks.

Mahsa was not merely a statistic. She was a hardworking, well-loved young woman whose memory remains alive among her family, friends, and community. The demand for truth, accountability, and an impartial and thorough investigation persists. Many hope that Mahsa’s case will not be silenced, and that her voice will contribute to broader awareness and concrete action to prevent future acts of violence against women.

According to the Balochistan Human Rights Group, on the morning of Friday, July 4, 2025, moments ago, Lali Bameri, a Baloch woman approximately 40 years old and one of the victims of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military assault on Gunich village in Khash County, succumbed to her injuries in the ICU of Khomeini Hospital in Khash after three days.

Sources report that Lali Bameri’s kidneys had completely failed, and she was being kept alive only through dialysis, with doctors stating there was no hope for her survival.

Lali Bameri was shot during direct gunfire by military forces in the attack on homes in Gunich village. The assault also claimed the life of another Baloch woman, identified as Khan-Bibi Bameri, who was killed by a bullet to the kidney area, and injured eleven other defenseless women, including Lali Bameri.

It should be noted that on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, security and military forces, using drones, military vehicles, unmarked cars, and combat weapons, attacked Gunich village, opening fire and resulting in the death and injury of 12 Baloch women. In this assault, a 40-year-old woman was killed by a bullet to the kidney, and a pregnant mother lost her fetus due to kicks from military forces.

The deceased woman was identified as Khan-Bibi Bameri, 40 years old and married, and the pregnant mother as Rihaneh Bameri, 21 years old. The other injured women were identified as Saba Bameri (17), Esra Bameri (18), Fatemeh Bameri (26), Madineh Bameri (24), Rahim-Bibi Bameri (32), Sanj-Malek Bameri (45), Asal Bameri (20), Mahdiyeh Bameri (16), Mahtab Bameri (50), and Lali Bameri (40), all residents of the village.

According to the annual report of the Balochistan Human Rights Group, in 2024, actions by military and security forces led to the death or injury of at least 208 Baloch citizens across various regions. Of these, 115 were killed, and 93 were injured, including 13 children and 4 women among the deceased, and 20 children and 12 women among the injured.