Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); April 18, 2025: Ali Baluchzehi, a Baluch man on death row for murder, was executed in Zahedan Central Prison.
According to Haal Vsh, a man was hanged in Zahedan Central Prison on 14 April 2025. His identity has been reported as Ali Baluchzehi from Saravan. He was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.
Another Baluch man named Ali Dehani was previously reported to have been executed, bringing the total number of executions to two at the prison that day.
At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.
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.
Crucially, while an indicative amount is set by the Judiciary every year, there is no legal limit to how much can be demanded by families of the victims. IHRNGO has recorded many cases where defendants are executed because they cannot afford to pay the blood money.
According to IHRNGO’s 2024 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 419 people including a juvenile offender and 19 women, were executed for murder charges, the highest number of qisas executions since 2010. Only 12% of the recorded qisas executions were announced by official sources. In 2024, Iran Human Rights also recorded 649 cases of families choosing diya or forgiveness instead of qisas executions.