Execution of a Group Sentence in 'Zahedan Prison', Identity of an Afghan National and Four Baluchis Identified

A group execution sentence for at least six prisoners, including four Baluchis and one Afghan national, was carried out in the central prison of Zahedan on the morning of Monday, September 19. According to Halosh, these prisoners had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges and were previously transferred to solitary confinement on Saturday, September 17, for the execution of their sentences. The identities of some of the executed prisoners have been confirmed by informed sources, including two Baluchi prisoners, one identified as Saeed Hassan-Zei, 30 years old, from Zahedan and a father of three, and the other with the surname Roudini. The Afghan national prisoner is named Noor Mohammad Noori (Noorzahi), 32 years old, a father from the Nimroz province of Afghanistan. Additionally, Farzad Sanchouli, 29 years old from Zabol, was among the executed prisoners. According to reports from sources close to these individuals, Saeed Hassan-Zei was arrested in 1399 (2020) during a raid by security forces on his home on drug-related charges and was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Zahedan. Noor Mohammad Noori was arrested in Mordad 1401 (August 2022) at the Milak border terminal in Zabol and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Zabol on similar charges. He was transferred to Zahedan prison in Khordad 1402 (June 2023). Farzad Sanchouli was arrested four years ago in Zabol on drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the court of that city. These prisoners were transferred from the general ward to the prison quarantine on the evening of Saturday, September 17, and on the morning of Monday, after a call from the prison, they had their last in-person meeting with their families. According to Halosh, as of the time of this report, the identities and charges of other executed Baluchi prisoners remain unknown. The Iran Human Rights Organization has recorded and confirmed at least 395 executions in the current year until August 26. Executions for drug-related charges continue to constitute the majority. Previously, May Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, noted in a series of posts on 'X' on Tuesday, September 14, that at least 93 people were executed in Iran in the previous month, stating that only a portion of these executions were officially reported by the Islamic Republic. Amnesty International has also reported that the Islamic Republic was responsible for 74% of recorded executions worldwide last year. The executed individuals include ethnic minorities, especially Baluchis, women, and those who were minors at the time of the crime. Reports have emerged regarding the death of Sara Deldar, a former political prisoner, due to infections from pellet injuries.