Mass Executions: A woman including 12 prisoners hanged in Balochistan

Duzaap (Zahedan): The Iranian authorities have executed a Baloch woman including twelve other prisoners in Duzaap (Zahedan) central prison in the early hours of Monday 6, June 2022.

The executions were carried out on the order of the Iranian judiciary and the victims were accused of ‘murder and drug-related charges. All inmates were sent to solidarity confinement on Saturday, June 4, 2022.

According to the 2021 annual report of the Baluch Activists Campaign, a total of 50 execution reports have been received by the campaign, which has resulted in the execution of at least 79 Baluch citizens in the prisons of the Islamic Republic.

There were 34 cases of drug crimes, 7 cases of murder, 4 cases of unknown charges, 3 cases of collaboration with opposition groups and armed activities, and 2 cases related to the membership of their relatives in opposition groups.

Amnesty International also in its 2021 yearly country report noted, “Death sentences were used disproportionately against members of ethnic minorities for vague charges such as “enmity against God” and as a tool of political repression. At least 19% of the recorded executions (61) were members of the Baluch ethnic minority.”

The identity, details and charges of these prisoners executed on Monday are as follows:

1. A female prisoner from the women’s ward has been identified only by her surname as Gorgej, from the village of Kahk, a subdivision of Zahak county. She was arrested for the alleged murder of her husband. She was detained in 2019 and has been in prison since her arrest.

2. Mohammad Ali Kahrazehi son of Gol Mohammad, a resident of Wash (Khash), was arrested on the charge of murder in 2019.

3. Mohammad Omar Kahrazehi son of Gol Mohammad, a resident of Wash, was arrested with the charge of murder in 2019 along with his brother Mohammad Ali.

4. Mehdi Nasiri, 36 years old, from Nasrabad (Zabul) was arrested for murder in 2018.

5. Issa Safari from Duzap was arrested for murder.

6. Hamidullah Paliz from Duzap was arrested for murder.

7. Ibrahim Ghaljayi 35, from Duzaap, was arrested on charges of “drug-related offenses” in 2019.

8. Jalil Gorgej son of Ibrahim Gorgej from Duzaap was arrested on charges of “drug-related crimes” in 2019. He was the co-defendant of Ibrahim Gorgej.

9. Nasir Mohammadani son of Aslam, about 40 years old, married and resident of Dargyaban village from the subdivision of Duzaap city, was arrested for “drug-related crimes” in 2013.

10. Mohammad Nabi Kabadani” known as Ibrahim Gergej, a Sunni cleric, married and a resident of the Dazaap, was arrested on charges of “drug-related crimes”.

11. Dashagir Gorgej son of Eid Mohammad from Jerike village from the suburb of Zahak city in 2019 for “drug-related crimes”.

12. Ibrahim Rakhshani 32 son of Mohammad resident of Dazap and was arrested in 2019.

It is said that these prisoners were transferred to the solitary cell of Duzaap Central Prison on Saturday, 14 June 2022 for execution and they were hanged en mass on Monday.

Before that, one Baloch prisoner was hanged on Saturday in Duzaap Prison, three prisoners were hanged in Dastgerd prison in Isfahan on May 28, 29, and 30, and another prisoner in Zanjan on May 29. Thus, during the past 16 days, dozens of prisoners have been executed.