Meeting of the Balochistan Human Rights Group Representative with the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accompaniment of a Delegation
According to the Balochistan Human Rights Group, on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, in a meeting between a delegation from the International Committee Against the Death Penalty consisting of “Zargham Asadi, Hormoz Raha, and Hassan Salehi,” accompanied by “Fariba Barahanzahi” from the Balochistan Human Rights Group, with “Tobias Settergren,” the Head of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussions were held regarding the increase in executions and widespread human rights violations in Iran.
In this meeting, “Fariba Barahanzahi,” representing the Balochistan Human Rights Group, presented a detailed report on the situation of the Baloch people. Referring to decades of serious, systematic, and ongoing violations of the basic rights of the Baloch people, she pointed to national and religious discrimination against Baloch citizens and the lack of equality in access to fundamental rights. She stated that institutionalized discrimination by the Islamic Republic of Iran has deprived the Baloch of the most basic social, economic, and political rights, and they face structural discrimination in many areas, including education, employment, and access to healthcare and development facilities.
Fariba Barahanzahi also emphasized that the execution rate among Baloch citizens is strikingly high, which indicates judicial discrimination and the dual treatment of the Islamic Republic’s judiciary toward the Baloch people. She said that a large portion of executions in drug-related cases involve Baloch citizens, while many of them are driven to such paths due to poverty and unemployment. She added that widespread executions have imposed a permanent atmosphere of insecurity on the lives of the Baloch people and, in many cases, are carried out without fair trials.
During the meeting, members of the International Committee Against the Death Penalty also addressed other issues, including the hunger strike of Qezelhesar prisoners, widespread executions in drug-related cases, and the cooperation of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime with the Islamic Republic of Iran, calling for the cessation of this cooperation until drug-related executions are halted. They also warned about the execution of political prisoners, including Pakhshan Azizi, Varisheh Moradi, and Sharifeh Mohammadi, and urged the Swedish government not to limit itself to verbal protests in response to these actions.
The issue of dual-national prisoners and the Islamic Republic’s hostage-taking policy for financial and political extortion from Western governments was also raised. The delegation called for a unified policy from the European Union to counter this trend. In this section, warnings were issued about the risk of execution for Ahmadreza Jalali and the re-broadcast of his forced confessions on Islamic Republic television, to which Tobias Settergren stated that the Swedish government is pursuing this case.
The delegation urged the Swedish government, in line with its international commitments, to support the people inside Iran and take action to improve the human rights situation in the region. They emphasized that European governments’ support for human rights should not be limited to statements but must be reflected in practical policies and diplomatic interactions with the Islamic Republic.
