3 Baluch Men Executed in Zahedan and Iranshahr

According to Hal Vash, two Baluch men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison and one in Iranshahr Prison on April 29. The two men executed in Zahedan were identified as 48-year-old Nematollah Rigi Ladiz (known as Abdollah Roudini) and Abdolsattar Shahuzehi who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

Nematollah Rigi Ladiz, a Zahedan native, had six children and had been arrested around five years ago.

The Baluch man executed in Iranshahr Prison was identified as Mahmoud Rahmani (pictured) who was arrested around 12 years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

Ethnic minorities, the Baluch in particular, are grossly overrepresented in execution numbers in Iran. In 2022, at least 174 Baluch minorities including 3 women, were executed in 22 prisons across Iran, making up 30% of overall executions. This is while they represent just 2-6% of Iran’s population.

Baluch minorities also represented almost half of drug-related executions in 2022. 47.3% of the 256 people executed for drug-related charges were Baluch.

Those charged with the umbrella term of “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) regardless of intent or circumstances due to a lack of grading in law. Once a defendant has been convicted, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.