Execution of Death Sentences for Three Inmates in Sistan and Baluchestan

“Given the special conditions in Baluchestan, security authorities are more determined to execute death sentences in this region”

On Friday, December 19th, news emerged about the transfer of several death-sentenced inmates to the quarantine ward of Zahedan Prison, increasing concerns about the imminent execution of these convicts.

MohammadReza Faghihi, a lawyer, informed the Ensaf News website that five death-sentenced inmates in Zahedan Prison were transferred to the prison quarantine for execution. This lawyer, who represents two of these convicts, stated: “I have no information about my clients’ situation and I suspect two of these defendants are my clients.”

According to this lawyer: “Recently, the death sentence has been in the execution phase, but when the family requested, we accepted representation and studied the defendants’ cases at Zahedan Revolution Prosecutor’s Office. We are preparing to submit a retrial request to the Supreme Court, and we always feared that before completing the legal extension, my clients would be taken for execution.”

Mostafa Nili, another lawyer, in a brief conversation with Amtedad, referring to the fact that at least 10 people in Zahedan Prison have been sentenced to “execution” on charges of rebellion and membership in groups allegedly opposed to the Islamic Republic, stated: “Among these 10 people, four are my clients, and after declaring representation and studying their cases in the past month, I am preparing retrial motions for them.”

Mostafa Nili, confirming the news that five death-sentenced convicts were transferred to solitary confinement for execution, said he does not know whether his clients are among these five. According to this lawyer: “By studying the case files, there are objections regarding the sentences issued for these individuals that could result in the reversal of their sentences.”

Mostafa Nili, while expressing concern that the opportunity for retrial and justice for his clients might be taken away, requested senior officials of the Judiciary to prevent the execution of these sentences.

One day after the news of prisoners’ transfer to quarantine for execution, on Saturday, December 20th, Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a brief report quoting Mostafavinia, the General Prosecutor of Sistan and Baluchestan, wrote: “On Saturday morning, the death sentence of two drug traffickers who had armed involvement in drug smuggling was carried out.”

This judicial official stated that “these individuals were arrested in 2017 and their case was carefully examined and resulted in a death sentence according to law. The sentence was executed after becoming final and completing legal procedures.”

The Baluch Activists Campaign reported on the same day that the identities of the two executed inmates were “Henam Riggi” and “Shoaib Riggi.”

On Sunday, December 21st, “Resanak,” a human rights activists website in Baluchestan, reported that a Baluch inmate named “AbdulBasit Khesht” from the village of “Banest” in “Konarak” County was executed in the central “Duzap” Prison.

According to this news website, AbdulBasit Khesht was arrested in 2012 and was being held in Zahedan Central Prison.

An informed source from the case files of several death-sentenced convicts in Zahedan Prison told Iran Human Rights Campaign: “Most of these cases involve the convicts’ membership in groups like Jund al-Adl and Jund al-Naser, groups previously founded by AbdulMalik Riggi and his brother in that region, and in most of these cases, there has been armed conflict.”

This informed source told Iran Human Rights Campaign: “The special security conditions of that region and the reasoning of Iranian security authorities cause officials to be determined to execute the death sentences.”

According to this informed source: “The security-focused perspective of authorities toward these cases and the charges against the death-sentenced convicts has led officials to conclude that if the death sentences are not executed, regional security will be endangered.”

This informed source, referring to the fact that “the only remaining way is to retry the cases of death-sentenced convicts in the Supreme Court,” told Iran Human Rights Campaign: “The reality is that the lawyers of the convicts face a very difficult task, and there is hope that the retrial will be accepted by the Supreme Court and afterward these sentences will be overturned.”

Earlier, Mohammad Reza Faghihi, the chosen lawyer for two of the death-sentenced inmates in Zahedan Prison, told Ensaf News: “My request from respected judicial officials, including provincial judicial officials and national officials, especially the Head of the Judiciary, is that given that executions being carried out, regardless of the correctness or incorrectness of the charges and evidence in the files, unfortunately expose our country and the Islamic Republic system to various human rights accusations, there should be a delay in executing these sentences. At minimum, before executing the sentence, there should be an opportunity to review and re-examine cases of this kind once more, so that the pressure from human rights institutions and international bodies on our country decreases at least to some extent.”

Reports indicate that in recent days, Javid Dehqan Khald and Hassan Dehvari, among the death-sentenced inmates in Zahedan who had previously been transferred to solitary confinement with several others for execution, have returned to the prison ward as their sentence execution was postponed.

Source: Iran Human Rights Campaign