Petition Calling for an Independent Investigation into Systematic Medical Negligence in Baluchistan
112
Signatures
500
Goal
Addressed to:
• The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
• The Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education
• The President of the Iranian Medical Council
• The Head of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran
• The Chair of the Health and Treatment Committee of the Islamic Consultative Assembly
• The Chancellor of Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences
18 October 2025
We, the undersigned, submit this petition in light of extensive, documented cases involving the deaths of pregnant women, newborns, and Baluch patients in hospitals across Sistan and Baluchistan. We call for the establishment of an independent fact-finding committee to investigate systemic medical negligence, racial and ethnic discrimination in the provision of healthcare services, and violations of the fundamental right to life and health of the Baluch people.
Baluchistan, one of the most marginalized and under-resourced regions of Iran, has suffered for decades from chronic shortages of medical facilities, insufficient specialist personnel, and long-standing structural neglect.
Field investigations and human rights documentation show that the current situation is no longer accidental or isolated. It has become a pattern of institutionalized injustice and discriminatory policies within the national healthcare system.
Documented Cases of Medical Negligence (2019–2025)
According to reports by the Baluch Activists Campaign (source: https://t.me/balochcampaign/24568):
At least 81 deaths involving pregnant women, fetuses, and newborns were recorded between 2019 and Tir 1404 (July 2025).
Of this number:
• 55 pregnant women died due to medical negligence or failure to provide timely care.
• 11 newborns or fetuses died during delivery or cesarean surgery.
• 5 pregnant women were killed as a result of shootings or military operations.
• 2 women were sterilized during surgery without consent.
• In several cases, patients fell into comas or died due to incorrect medication or anesthesia.
Examples of documented cases include:
• The death of Khudabakhsh Oliyazehi, 24, a conscript-teacher, after the wrong antibiotic was administered at Khomeini Hospital in Khash (December 2024).
• A patient who fell from the operating-room table after anesthesia at Nikshahr Hospital, resulting in fetal death (September 2025).
• Hossein Sarkouri, who fell into a coma after an incorrect medication was administered at Imam Ali Hospital in Chabahar (February 2025).
• The death of Fatemeh Abil, a 17-year-old Baluch girl, following medical negligence at Imam Ali Hospital in Zahedan (August 2025).
• The deaths of pregnant women, including Elham Shahnavazi, Negar Abdollahi, and Mina Houti, in Chabahar and Nikshahr (2024–2025).
• Maryam Askani, 18, who died from a medication error in Rask (April 2025).
• A case of a newborn’s arm fractured during birth at Imam Ali Hospital in Chabahar (March 2025).
• The deaths of Jan-Bibi Rostamzehi, 27, and her newborn due to the absence of a physician and delayed care at Iran Hospital in Iranshahr (September 2025).
These cases reflect only a fraction of the grim reality in Baluchistan, a region where, in the words of the spokesperson of the Baluch Activists Campaign (https://t.me/balochcampaign/26160), “the right to life is violated on a daily basis.”
Legal and Human Rights Dimensions
Under Articles 29 and 34 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, access to healthcare services and the right to seek justice are fundamental rights of every citizen.
Furthermore:
• Under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which Iran is a state party, governments are obligated to guarantee “the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.”
• Under Article 497 of the Islamic Penal Code and Article 19 of the Medical Council Law, negligence or failure to provide proper medical services constitutes a punishable offense.
Despite these legal obligations, such protections are routinely denied in Baluchistan. Families of victims frequently face security pressure, intimidation, and administrative obstruction when seeking accountability.
Our Demands
- Establish an independent fact-finding committee including representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Medical Council, the Judiciary, and civil society, mandated to investigate all deaths linked to medical negligence in Baluchistan.
- Publish all official Ministry of Health reports concerning maternal and neonatal mortality in Sistan and Baluchistan.
- Ensure equal access for Baluch residents to healthcare services, medicine, specialist physicians, and essential medical equipment in all counties of the province.
- Implement mandatory training and oversight programs for hospital staff in Baluchistan, focusing on medical ethics, professional responsibility, and legal accountability.
- Guarantee security and protection for victims’ families and witnesses, enabling them to file complaints without fear of retaliation or coercion.
- Conduct transparent and public judicial proceedings in all cases of medical negligence, with findings released to the public.
The recurring deaths of Baluch mothers, newborns, and patients are not merely the result of inadequate facilities. They stem from structural discrimination, systemic negligence, and institutional indifference that have cost countless innocent lives.
We call on the relevant authorities to take immediate action, uphold transparency, and prevent the continuation of this human tragedy.
The rights to life and health are not privileges. They are inalienable rights owed to every Iranian citizen.
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Province Number of signatures Alborz 1 Ardabil 0 Bushehr 1 Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari 0 East Azerbaijan 1 Fars 2 Gilan 1 Golestan 0 Hamadan 0 Hormozgan 0 Ilam 0 Isfahan 0 Kerman 0 Kermanshah 0 Khuzestan 0 Kohgiluyehv And Boyer Ahmad 0 Kurdistan 0 Lorestan 0 Markazi 0 Mazandaran 0 North Khorasan 1 Qazvin 0 Qom 0 Razavi Khorasan 0 Semnan 0 Sistan and Baluchestan 1 South Khorasan 0 Tehran 1 West Azerbaijan 0 Yazd 0 Zanjan 0 This petition has received 112 signatures so far. Approximately 83% of signatures come from Iran. Approximately 17% of signatures come from outside of Iran. Learn how Daadkhast generates signature maps. -
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A group of Baluch civil rights activists started this petition
