Death of a Baloch Detainee Under Torture in the Drug Control Headquarters Detention Center

Hengaw; Sunday, June 16, 2024

A detained Baloch man named Mohammad Gorgij was killed under severe torture after three days of detention in the Drug Control Headquarters detention center in Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchestan province.

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Friday, June 14, 2024, Mohammad Gorgij, 31 years old, a resident of Shirabad, Zahedan, and father of three, was killed in the Drug Control Headquarters detention center of this city.

According to Haal Vsh News, Mohammad Gorgij was arrested last Wednesday, and his family had no information about his whereabouts and situation until Friday morning when they received news of his death.

The report states that after three days, the Drug Control Headquarters informed the victim's family by phone that their son had died.

Additionally, informed sources cited in the report state that "Mohammad was most likely killed under torture on the very first night, and his family was prevented from seeing his body."

The source added: "Mohammad's family has filed a complaint against the Drug Control detention center officers and is convinced that their son was killed under torture by them."

According to data recorded at the Statistics and Documents Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at least 16 prisoners have died in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran since the beginning of 2024. Of these, 4 were Baloch prisoners (25%), and 8 were Kurdish prisoners (50%). Of the total 16 deaths, at least 6 cases (37.5%) occurred under torture.