Amnesty International: Iran Responsible for Over Half of All Recorded Executions in 2017

Amnesty International, on Thursday, April 12, published its annual report on the use of the death penalty in 2017, describing execution as a "cruel and inhuman" punishment and identifying Iran as the second highest country in the world in terms of execution statistics. The report states that 142 countries have abolished or effectively halted the use of this punishment in their laws, yet last year, 23 countries, including Iran, continued to carry out executions. According to Amnesty International's report, at least 507 people were executed in Iran last year, which accounts for more than half of the total number of executions recorded worldwide (excluding China). This figure represents an 11% decrease compared to the number of executions in 2016, but it still remains high compared to other countries. Of the 507 executions carried out in Iran last year, 205 were related to drug offenses and 240 were related to retribution (qisas), marking the first time that executions for drug offenses were fewer than those for other crimes. Amnesty International indicates that efforts were made last year in Iran to reduce executions related to drug offenses, referring to a new law passed in the autumn of 2017 by the Islamic Consultative Assembly that limits the use of the death penalty for drug-related crimes. In 2017, a total of 993 people were executed worldwide, which is about a 4% decrease from the previous year. Most executions occurred in the Middle East and North Africa. Out of 193 UN member states, 170 did not use the death penalty. With at least 507 executions, Iran has the second highest number of executions in the world after China. The death penalty is still present in the laws of 56 countries. In 15 countries, the death penalty is still used for drug offenders. The United States and Japan are the only G8 countries that still utilize the death penalty, with 23 executions in the U.S. and four in Japan in 2017. Following Iran, Saudi Arabia ranks third with 146 executions. At the same time, Amnesty International expressed concern over the use of the death penalty in Iran for other crimes, stating that charges such as moharebeh (waging war against God), ifsad fil-arz (corruption on earth), and sabb al-nabi (insulting the prophet) face the death penalty in Iran, even though these are not considered major crimes under international law and should not warrant a death sentence. The report also noted that the trial and judicial processes for many individuals sentenced to death in Iran are "unfair," and their confessions are obtained "under torture and mistreatment," with some confessions even broadcast on Iranian television. The execution of 31 death sentences in public and the execution of at least four juvenile offenders (individuals who were under 18 at the time of the crime) in Iran are additional issues criticized by Amnesty International. According to this organization, 80 other juvenile offenders are awaiting execution in Iranian prisons, which violates international laws and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The report states that hundreds of other death sentences were issued in Iran last year, but the organization was unable to confirm the exact figures. Amnesty International noted that since the number of executions in China is considered state secret and accurate statistics are not available, its reports and statistics do not include execution figures from China, although the number of executions in China is likely higher than in any other country. Accordingly, Iran, along with Iraq, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, was responsible for a total of 84% of all executions carried out in 2017. Following Iran, Saudi Arabia had 146 executions, while Iraq and Pakistan had 125 and 60 executions, respectively. In conclusion, Amnesty International stated that this report was compiled using information from various sources, including official statistics, court rulings, individuals sentenced to death or their families and lawyers, reports from civil society organizations, and media. The use of the death penalty and the high number of executions in Iran have been criticized in recent years by the United Nations, Western countries, and several human rights defenders.