The U.S.-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) says politically motivated executions in Iran are increasing "dramatically" as authorities use capital punishment as a "tactic of intimidation and retribution" amid a wave of unrest that has posed the biggest threat to the Islamic leadership since the revolution in 1979.
The CHRI said in a statement released on August 2 that Iran has executed 17 men -- most of whom were young -- in "blatantly unlawful" prosecutions over the last 10 months. Among them, seven were hanged as of July 2023 for participating in protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody last September, while at least 10 other were executed for various political “crimes.”
“The international community must be clear with Iranian authorities that continuing its killing spree will result in an extraordinary intensification of the Islamic republic’s political and economic isolation,” said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the CHRI.
“Without strong coordinated international action, the world is green-lighting this carnage,” Ghaemi added.
According to the CHRI, individuals prosecuted endured trials marred by "severe" human rights violations, with authorities denying them the right to counsel and even the right to choose their own legal representation, which are guaranteed under Iranian law and international treaties to which Iran is a signatory.
“The aim of these unlawful executions is to eradicate dissent and sow fear among the population. Governments and international organizations have a crucial role in exerting pressure on the Iranian government to put a stop to this state-sanctioned murder,” Ghaemi said.
The rate of executions in Iran has been rising sharply, particularly in the wake of the widespread protests following the death of the 22-year-old Amini, who was being held for an alleged head-scarf violation.
Amnesty International says the regime in Tehran executes more people than any other country in the world other than China and recently highlighted the disproportionate impact of drug-related executions among marginalized and economically disadvantaged population in Iran.
The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, a Washington-based organization specializing in Iranian human rights research, said in a recent report that 135 executions were carried out in Iran in May alone, while Iran Human Rights (IHR) says that since the start of the year, at least 423 executions had been recorded, which indicates "a potential surpassing of last year's tally of 582 hangings and due to the Iranian government's lack of transparency, the actual number of executions is suspected to be much higher than reported.”
