Baluch Prisoner Hafez Abdolsattar Executed in Zahedan

According to Iran Human Rights, a male prisoner was executed at Zahedan Central Prison yesterday, January 20. The identity of the prisoner who had been sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) on murder charges has been established as Hafez Abdolsattar, son of Abdolghani.

An informed source told IHR: “Hafez Abdolsattar had been behind bars on murder charges for the last eight years.”

At the time of writing, Hafez Abdolsattar’s execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Over the past month, there has been a sharp increase in the executions carried out in Sunni areas, particularly in Sistan and Baluchistan. Since the start of 2021, at least six people have been executed in Zahedan Central Prison. Over the last month, 14 Baluch prisoners have been executed in Zahedan Central Prison and Mashhad Central Prison, with at least seven of them facing security and political charges.

IHR previously warned of the imminent execution of Baluch Sunni clerics Molavi Amanollah Baluchi and Hafez Abdolrahim Kouhi and had called on the international community to act immediately to stop their executions. The two clerics who were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions on January 18, were returned to their cells, but were transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s custody hours later.

According to Iran Human Rights’ annual report, at least 225 of the 280 of those executed in 2019 were charged with "premeditated murder."

As there are no legal distinctions made between murder and manslaughter, whether voluntary or involuntary in Iran, those charged under the umbrella term of “premeditated murder” will receive the death penalty regardless of intent and the circumstances.