At Least 300 People Executed in Iran Over the Past Seven Months

The Iran Human Rights Organization reported that at least "300 people have been executed in Iran since the beginning of this year." On Saturday, August 4, the organization stated that this figure represents a "30 percent" decrease compared to last year. The organization attributed this decline to "events such as parliamentary elections, two rounds of presidential elections, and the death of Ebrahim Raisi." However, according to statistics released last month, at least "49 people" were executed in Iran, with 36 of them executed in just the last 11 days of July, specifically from July 22 to August 1. The Iran Human Rights Organization also announced that "42 Baluch citizens, 20 Kurdish citizens, 20 Afghan citizens, and 15 women were among those executed in the past seven months." As in previous years, the highest number of executions was related to drug offenses, with "172 individuals" executed. Following that, charges related to murder accounted for "110 individuals" executed. Additionally, "20 Afghan citizens" were also executed in the past seven months. The high number of executions in Iran comes at a time when the Iran Human Rights Organization based in Norway stated that "only 28 executions have been reported in the media or through official sources in Iran." Radio Farda reported last week that at least 30 death sentences were carried out within eight days from Saturday, July 22 to Saturday, July 29. Eight people were executed in prisons in Shiraz and Karaj. These executions occurred amid warnings from prisoners involved in the "No to Executions Tuesdays" campaign, who, during the 24th week of their hunger strike, warned about a potential increase in executions following the elections. These prisoners, scattered across various prisons in the country, pointed to the experience of increased executions following past elections in the Islamic Republic, considering the issuance of a death sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist, and the arrest of Rana Korkor, the sister of a political prisoner sentenced to death, as signs of this "worrying" trend. The Iran Human Rights Watch also urged Masoud Pezeshkian, the winner of the presidential election, to start with halting death sentences to create "real changes."