Execution of a Baloch Prisoner in Zahedan; Accused Claimed 'I Am Not a Killer'

Local news sources reported the execution of a Baloch prisoner in the central prison of Zahedan at dawn on Tuesday, September 5. The Telegram channel 'Rasad Balochistan' announced that this Baloch prisoner was arrested four years ago on charges of 'murder in a collective brawl' and sentenced to death. According to this Telegram channel, 'Barakat-Ali Sanjarani', who was 25 at the time of execution, had previously been transferred to solitary confinement on August 16 for the execution of his sentence but was given a 10-day period to obtain the consent of the plaintiff. As reported by Rasad Balochistan, this individual stated in an audio file: 'Despite the issuance of the death sentence, the victim's family knows that I am not a killer. The victim's father asked me to confess at the police station and promised that they would grant consent within six months without the need for mediation from others.' Additionally, Iran Human Rights reported that judicial authorities executed an Afghan national prisoner on charges of 'premeditated murder' in the Dastgerd prison of Isfahan. A source informed this human rights organization that this prisoner, named 'Fahim', approximately 30 years old, had been in prison for three years and was executed on Saturday, September 3. The continuation of executions in Iran occurs while political prisoners inside prisons, Iranians abroad, civil activists, and international organizations have repeatedly called for a halt to the issuance and execution of death sentences in Iran. In this context, the 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign was initiated on Tuesday, July 17, by protesting prisoners in 11 prisons in Iran 'to combat the death penalty and draw domestic and international public attention to the issue of inhumane punishment of execution,' and they went on hunger strike. The issuance and execution of death sentences in the Islamic Republic have significantly increased in recent months, with statistics recorded by the 'Human Rights Activists in Iran' organization indicating that at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 child offenders, were executed last year. Human rights organizations are concerned about further executions ahead of the second anniversary of the killing of Mahsa Amini. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over the executions in Iran. The execution of 'Davood Barahoui' and 'Mahdi Ali-Akbari' in Qazalhasar prison occurred despite their 'first criminal record' for drug offenses. There is also an increase in pressure from security forces on Sunni religious figures to encourage people to participate in the government's 'elections.'