Executions in Iran reach 8-year high

A joint report prepared by the Norway-based "Iran Human Rights" organization and the Paris-based "Together Against the Death Penalty" stated that a record number of executions has been recorded in Iran since 2015.

The report emphasized that 834 Iranians were executed for various reasons in the country in 2023, marking the highest number recorded since 2015, when the number of executions in the country peaked at 972.

It was stated that the number of people executed in 2023 showed a 43 percent increase compared to 2022. It was highlighted that crimes such as drug trafficking, espionage, and targeting Iranian national security were among the leading offenses for which the death penalty was imposed.

9 EXECUTIONS FOLLOWING MAHSA AMINI PROTESTS

It was stated that there was an increase in executions in Iran following the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022, and that executions were being used as a "tool of fear."

The report stated that a total of 9 people have been executed in cases linked to attacks on security forces following the protests that began after the death of Mahsa Amini, with 2 in 2022, 6 in 2023, and 1 so far in 2024.

471 EXECUTIONS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING

In addition to the Mahsa Amini protests, it was noted that there was also an increase in death sentences handed down for drug trafficking. While it was stated that 471 people were executed in connection with drug trafficking in the country in 2023, it was reported that these executions occurred most frequently in the Sistan and Baluchestan province, located in the southeast of the country.

Under the Iranian Penal Code, those who commit crimes such as "disturbing public order, spreading corruption on earth, and waging war against the state" are tried with the death penalty.

News Source: İHA