France Condemns Sharp Increase in Executions in Iran

The French Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the sharp increase in the number of executions in Iran in a message posted on its X account. The message, published on Thursday, March 2, states: "France condemns, in the strongest terms, the 975 executions carried out in Iran in 2024. These executions symbolize the relentless repression imposed on all those who dare to express the legitimate demands of the Iranian people for freedom." Earlier on the same day, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization and the French organization "Together Against the Death Penalty" reported in their annual report that at least 975 people were executed in 2024. According to this report, the increase in the number of executions in 2024 indicates a 17% rise compared to the figure of 834 executions in 2023. The report notes that since 2008, when the Iran Human Rights Organization in Oslo began recording execution statistics in Iran, this is the highest number recorded. The two human rights organizations accused the Islamic Republic of using executions as a "primary tool of political repression" throughout its governance. The report also mentioned that out of the 975 people executed last year, four were executed in public, and 31 of the total were women. According to the report by the two human rights organizations, this is the highest number of executions of women in the past 17 years. The high number of executions of women last year is published while currently three women activists in Iranian prisons are facing the death penalty: Pakhshan Azizi, Varisheh Moradi, and Sharifeh Mohammadi. The report also noted that Iran still has the highest number of executions after China. The two human rights organizations in their recent report accused the Iranian government of using the death penalty to intimidate and scare the people and protesters, especially after the start of the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement in 2022. Mohammad Mehdi Karami, Mohammad Qabadolou, Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Mohammad Hosseini, Saleh Mirhashimi, Saeed Yaqoubi, Majid Kazemi, and Milad Zahraevand were nine individuals executed by the Islamic Republic in connection with the protests of 2022, known as the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement. According to Narges Mohammadi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Islamic Republic wants to take "revenge" for the protests that occurred after the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the morality police in 2022, which sparked the largest anti-government protests in recent years.