Baluch Abdolsamad Shahuzehi and Mahmoud Rigi Executed in Zahedan

According to Hal Vash, two Baluch men were executed in Zahedan Central Prison on 19 August. Their identities have been reported as Abdolsamad Shahuzehi and Mahmoud Rigi who were both 28 years old and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder in the same case.

The two Baluch men were arrested in September/October 2012 and sentenced to qisas by the Zahedan Criminal Court. Abdolsamad and Mahmoud may have been juvenile offenders according to the report.

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

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. Furthermore, in the first six months of 2023, 20% of the at least 354 executions were Baluch people.

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.