Baluch Woman Afsaneh Shahiki Executed in Kerman

According to Hal Vash, a Baluch woman was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 2 July. Her identity has been reported as 50-year-old Afsaneh Shahiki who was sentenced to qisas for murder.

An informed source is quoted as saying: “Afsaneh was arrested 8 years ago after shooting her husband dead in Bam. She was transferred to Kerman and sentenced to death which was carried out at 7 in the morning.”

At the time of writing, her execution has 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. 20% of all executions in the first six months of 2023 were also Baluch.

Iran is the biggest executioner of women. In 2022, at least 16 women were executed. Afsaneh Shahiki is the seventh woman to be executed in 2023. According to Iran Human Rights’ report on Women and Death Penalty in Iran on the occasion of World Day Against the Death Penalty, at least 164 women were executed between 2010-October 2021. In 66% of the known murder cases, the women were convicted of killing their husband or partner. Within the marriage, a woman does not have the right to divorce, even in cases of domestic violence and abuse, which are hidden in cultural codes and language.