Baluch Fahim Moghabeli and Mohsen Gomashadzehi Executed in Jiroft and Zahedan

According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Jiroft Prison on 11 November. His identity has been reported as 24-year-old Fahim Moghabeli who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for  murder. He was arrested around two and a half years ago and had denied the charges.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Furthermore, state media have reported the execution of another Baluch man on 14 November. Identified as Mohsen Gomshadzehi, he was called a “hooligan” by a state official. Reported by Javan Online, Mohsen Gomashadzehi is alleged to have killed two policemen around ten years ago.

While the report does not specify the exact charges, “hooligan” is usually used for those sentenced to death for moharebeh (enmity against god) charges. According to Haal Vsh, his execution was carried out in Zahedan Central Prison.

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, at least 274 Baluch people have been executed for drug-related charges since 2021, 40% of all drug executions in that time period.