Report on the Human Rights Crisis in Balochistan: Execution of 33 Prisoners and the Imminent Threat to the Lives of 85 Others

Prepared by: Baloch Activists Campaign

In recent years, the Baloch minority in Iran has faced an unprecedented wave of repression, structural discrimination, and gross human rights violations. A particularly alarming manifestation of this crisis is the rising number of executions targeting Baloch citizens, often carried out following unfair trials that fall far short of international standards of due process. This report offers a documented and statistical overview of the recent surge in executions and the looming threat of further executions, particularly at Zahedan Central Prison.

*Execution of 33 Baloch Prisoners Across 10 Prisons in April 2024*

According to data collected by the Baloch Activists Campaign, at least *33 Baloch prisoners* were executed in *10 different prisons across Iran* during the month of April 2024. The charges against these individuals were as follows:

– *4 prisoners* on political or ideological grounds

– *24 prisoners* accused of drug-related offenses

– 5 prisoners charged with murder

Many of these executions were carried out without prior notice to families, without adequate access to legal representation, and under opaque judicial processes—constituting clear violations of the right to a fair trial and the right to life, as protected under the *International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights* (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party.

Imminent Risk of Execution for 85 Prisoners in Zahedan Central Prison

Information obtained from sources within Zahedan Central Prison—one of the most notorious detention facilities in Iran—indicates that *at least 85 Baloch prisoners* are at imminent risk of execution. According to prison officials, these executions are planned by Iran’s judiciary and are expected to be carried out by the end of the Iranian calendar year 1404 (March 2026).

The planned mass execution of such a large number of prisoners in a single facility, located in one of the most underdeveloped and marginalized provinces of the country, underscores the discriminatory and repressive nature of Iran’s judicial system and highlights the systematic violation of minority rights.

Disproportionate Executions of Baloch Citizens in 2024

According to the Baloch Activists Campaign’s annual report, *101 Baloch citizens* were executed in Iranian prisons during 2024. While Baloch individuals make up only around *5% of Iran’s population*, they account for more than *10% of all executions*, highlighting a deeply disproportionate and discriminatory use of the death penalty against this minority group.

Iran’s Global Execution Record

Amnesty International’s 2024 annual report states that *at least 972 executions* were carried out in Iran last year, making up *64% of all documented executions worldwide*—placing Iran at the top of global execution statistics.

Amnesty International has emphasized that many of these executions—especially those involving ethnic minorities such as the Baloch—are driven by discriminatory motives and carried out under unjust legal procedures, often influenced by Iran’s security apparatus.