Execution of a Baloch Prisoner in Iran; Ongoing Concerns Over Minority Rights Violations
Tehran-On May 25, 2025, Iranian authorities executed Hamid Shirzai, a 39-year-old Baloch man and father of ten, in Birjand Central Prison. Shirzai had been arrested nearly six years ago at a checkpoint in Sahlabad on drug-related charges and was later sentenced to death.
Weezharoz-According to Iran Human Rights Organization, Shirzai’s family was not informed of the execution date and was denied a final visit with him.
This execution is part of a troubling trend in Iran, where drug-related executions have steadily increased since 2021.
In 2024 alone, at least 503 individuals were executed for drug-related offenses, with fewer than 3% of these executions officially reported.
Despite constituting only 2 to 6 percent of Iran’s population, the Baloch minority accounted for 17% of these executions.
Human rights organizations have raised serious concerns about the lack of transparency, unfair legal proceedings, and the disproportionate targeting of minorities particularly the Baloch community.
They have called for urgent reforms, international monitoring, and adherence to human rights standards in the Iranian justice system.
Weezharoz
