UN warns of significant increase in executions in Iran

UN experts have expressed concern over the increase in executions in the Islamic Republic of Iran, reporting that at least 400 people, including 15 women, have been executed in the past nine months.

On Monday, UN experts stated in a letter that “in August alone, 81 people were executed. This figure represents a doubling of executions compared to July, during which 45 people were executed.”They have urged Iran to halt the executions of individuals facing such penalties immediately.

The UN experts, deeply troubled by the rising number of executions in Iran, have called for an immediate cessation of this practice.

The experts’ statement highlighted that nearly half of the executions (41) were carried out for drug-related offenses.

This is despite the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran has signed, restricting the death penalty to “the most serious crimes,” including premeditated murder.

The UN experts have warned that “the death penalty for drug offenses violates international standards” according to these covenants.

Since 2021, there has been a significant increase in drug-related executions in Iran, with over 400 people executed for this reason in 2023 alone.

In their statement, the UN experts emphasized the need for fair trials, stating: “Countries that apply the death penalty must ensure that individuals are not subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment throughout the criminal process, and their right to a fair trial and equality before the law must be upheld at all stages of the criminal process.”

The UN experts have raised alarms that innocent individuals may have been executed.

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