At least 161 prisoners executed in Iranian prisons in October 2024

Hengaw; Friday, November 1, 2024

In October 2024, at least 161 prisoners were executed in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran, marking an 83-case (106.5%) increase from September, when 78 executions were recorded. This represents the highest monthly number of executions documented in Iran in 2024.

The Statistics and Documents Centre of Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has confirmed the identities of 149 of the 161 executed prisoners, with the identities of the remaining 12 still under investigation.

The executions in October included at least 22 Kurdish prisoners, 21 Turkish prisoners, 15 Baloch prisoners, 12 Lur prisoners, 5 Arab prisoners, 3 Gilak prisoners, and 2 Turkmen prisoners. Additionally, at least nine Afghan nationals were executed last month.

Notably, the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German dual national and political prisoner, was carried out in secrecy. Additionally, a 21-year-old Baloch prisoner, who was only 17 at the time of his crime, was executed in Zahedan Central Prison; this prisoner, identified as Mehdi Barahouei, had been convicted of premeditated murder.

Among those executed in October were at least five women in various prisons, including Tabriz (2 cases), Ahar, Hamedan, and Ghezel Hesar in Karaj. Four were convicted of murder, while one was sentenced to death for drug-related charges.

Of the 161 prisoners executed in October, only 14 cases (8.5%) were reported by state media and judiciary-affiliated websites. Six executions were carried out in secrecy, without informing the prisoners’ families or granting them a final visitation.

Classification by charges:

    •    Premeditated murder: 83 cases (51.5% of all executions)
    •    Political: 1 case
    •    Drug-related offenses: 64 cases
    •    Corruption on Earth: 4 cases
    •    Rape: 7 cases
    •    Armed robbery: 2 cases

Separation of execution of death sentences according to provinces:

The highest number of executions in October took place in Alborz Province, with 38 cases. This was followed by 16 executions in Fars Province and 14 in East Azerbaijan Province.

    •    Alborz Province: 38 cases
    •    Fars Province: 16 cases
    •    East Azerbaijan Province: 14 cases
    •    Isfahan Province: 12 cases
    •    Kerman Province: 10 cases
    •    Qom, Qazvin, and Zanjan Provinces: 8 cases each
    •    South Khorasan and Khuzestan Provinces: 6 cases each
    •    West Azerbaijan (Urmia) Province: 5 cases
    •    Hamedan, Golestan, and Razavi Khorasan Provinces: 4 cases each
    •    Ilam and Sistan-Balouchestan Provinces: 3 cases each
    •    Gilan and Semnan Provinces: 2 cases each
    •    Kurdistan, Lorestan, Mazandaran, North Khorasan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, and Ardabil Provinces: 1 case each
    •    Unknown location: 1 case