3 Baluch Men Hanged for Drug Offences in Mashhad

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were hanged in Mashhad (Vakil Abad) Central Prison on 30 April 2025. Their identities have been established as 47-year-old Abdolghafar Barahouyi (Lejei, left photo), 40-year-old Parviz Dastkaleh (Noureddin Lejei, middle photo) and 39-year-old Abdolsamad Gorgij (Rigi, right photo). They were sentenced to death on drug-related charges in separate cases.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Abdolghafar Barahouyi was one of the Lejei tribe leaders and a philanthropist who had helped many find work and marry. He was a father of nine  himself. Parviz was from Zahedan and a father of three. Abdolsamad was also from Zahedan and had five children.”

At the time of writing, none of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2024 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 503 people were executed for drug-related charges, of which only under 3% were announced by official sources. 17% of all drug-related executions in 2024 were Baluch minorities while they represent 2-6% of Iran’s population.