A Human Rights Organization: The Islamic Republic Has Intensified Executions by 'Exploiting Media Attention on Gaza'

A human rights organization announced that the Islamic Republic has intensified executions by 'exploiting media attention on Gaza', executing at least 10 individuals in Qazalhesar Prison on Wednesday, October 18. According to a report by Iran Human Rights on Thursday, October 19, four more individuals were taken to the central prison in Karaj for execution. The report states that 'apparently' all 10 executed prisoners were sentenced to death for 'drug-related charges' and were executed 'in a group' in Qazalhesar Prison in Alborz Province, with the number of executed possibly being higher. The execution of these 10 men took place 'on the morning of Wednesday, October 18', and the identities of three of them were reported by Iran Human Rights and a collection of human rights activists in Iran as 'Hojjat Baghrizadeh, Shahab Shahbazi, and Mohammad Behzadi'. Iran Human Rights condemned the 'mass executions in Iran' and called for a global reaction, with its director, Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, stating that 'the silence of the United Nations regarding these executions is perceived as approval'. He added that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which collaborates with the Islamic Republic in combating drug trafficking, must respond to the arbitrary executions of those accused of these crimes. Although the amendment to the drug law in 2017 in Iran, which occurred following 'international pressures', led to a reduction in drug-related executions, the trend 'reversed in 2021 and continued to increase', with 'at least 305 drug-related executions' recorded by mid-October 2023. According to the report, the number of drug-related executions in Iran this year 'once again surpassed the total executions for all other charges', despite the fact that 'the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which has joint projects with the Islamic Republic in combating drug trafficking, has not reacted to the nearly 20-fold increase in drug-related executions in Iran'. Internationally, Iran remains at the top of the list of executioners of those accused of drug-related crimes. Out of 285 drug-related executions recorded globally by the International Harm Reduction Organization in 2022, 90% of them were carried out in Iran. Pegah Bani Hashemi, a lawyer, told Voice of America that executions have always been a tool for repression and terror throughout the lifespan of the Islamic Republic. Earlier, the Open Data Iran database reported a 75% increase in execution statistics in the Islamic Republic following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. Additionally, the latest report by the Freedom House think tank based in the United States mentioned the execution of two individuals in Iran for blasphemy simply for sharing their opinions on social media.