Hengaw: Executions in Iran Increased by 328% in One Month

The human rights organization Hengaw reported a more than 300% increase in executions in Iran in the last month compared to the previous month. According to this report, at least 77 prisoners, including three women and one Kurdish religious prisoner, were executed in the prisons of the Islamic Republic in April. This figure shows a 328% increase compared to the execution of 18 prisoners in March. Hengaw reported that the prisons in Razavi Khorasan province had the highest number of executions last month with 16 executions, followed by prisons in Alborz, Isfahan, Kerman, and East Azerbaijan. The charges against most of the executed prisoners were related to drug offenses, and state media reported on only four of the executions from last month. Some critics believe that the Islamic Republic's goal in increasing the number of executions of prisoners accused of drug-related crimes is to 'intimidate' society. According to Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, the Islamic Republic executed at least 471 people last year on drug-related charges 'to intimidate society and prevent protests.' In this context, over 80 human rights organizations issued a statement requesting that the continued cooperation of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime with the Islamic Republic be conditioned on the cessation of drug-related executions. An objection statement from over 460 'Iran-Iraq war veterans' stated, 'Instead of executing Tomaj, execute us.' One execution every 5 hours; a report from Iran Human Rights on the recent two-week performance of the Islamic Republic. Amnesty International called for an 'immediate halt' to the execution of Reza Rasai. Babak Zanjani was pardoned by Khamenei; his death sentence was commuted to 20 years in prison.