Amnesty International Warns of Significant Increase in Executions in Iran

In a statement released on Thursday, July 23, Amnesty International noted that approximately seven hundred people have been executed in Iran over the past six months, warning that if Iran continues this trend, more than one thousand people will be executed by the end of the current calendar year. According to the statement, from January 1 to July 15, 2015, 694 people were executed in Iran, which means more than three people are executed daily. Meanwhile, the Iranian government reported that the number of executions in the past six months was 246. Amnesty International's statement indicates that the figures for this year show a significant increase compared to 2014, when Iran executed 753 people. In this context, the Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International stated, 'The staggering increase in executions in Iran in the first half of this year paints a grim picture of Iran's judicial system, which has implemented mass executions.' According to the Amnesty International statement, Iran executed four people this year even during Ramadan, a month when executions typically do not occur. The organization stated that these executions do not align with international standards. Last year, Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, reported that most executions in Iran are due to drug offenses, illicit relationships, homosexuality, and charges such as threats to national security, which lack clear definitions. Amnesty International also noted that there is no evidence to suggest that the death penalty deters individuals from engaging in drug trafficking or similar crimes. Iran ranks second in the world for the number of executions carried out, following China, but holds the first position in terms of per capita executions.