Human Rights Groups: October is the Deadliest Month with at Least 166 Executions Recorded

A human rights group reports that Iran executed 166 people in October, marking the deadliest month for the judicial system of the Islamic Republic since record-keeping began in 2007. According to Iran Human Rights, only 20 of the 166 executions were publicly announced. The individuals included over a dozen Afghan citizens and a German-Iranian dual national. Human rights groups state that at least 64 individuals were sentenced to death for drug-related offenses, continuing the significant increase in the lethal enforcement of drug laws in Iran. Iran Human Rights reports that a total of 651 people have been executed from January to October 2024, nearly matching the total of 853 from the previous year, the highest number in eight years. Human Rights Watch also states that the pace of executions has continued into November, with dozens of Kurdish political prisoners and others sentenced to death, including for alleged espionage for Israel. Nahid Naghashbandi, an Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated, 'Iranian officials use the death penalty as a tool of fear, particularly targeting ethnic minorities and political dissenters after unfair trials.' She noted that 'the goal of this brutal tactic is to suppress any opposition to an autocratic government through intimidation.' Previously, the 'No to Executions Tuesdays' campaign announced on November 29 that the Islamic Republic executed 28 people in the past week, with 18 executed on November 16 alone. The death sentences of six protesters have sparked reactions, with the Ekbatan children listed among government killings. The 'No to Executions Tuesdays' campaign warns of 'savage' executions on the anniversary of the November 2019 uprising. The Iranian Writers' Association stated that the government's treatment of petitioners reflects desperation. Political prisoners at Evin prison claimed that the issuance of death sentences is a means of settling accounts with the people. Iran Human Rights reported that at least 17 prisoners were executed last week.