Human Rights Watch Warns of Rising Executions in Iran

Human Rights Watch has warned about the surge in executions by the Iranian judiciary, noting at least 87 executions in just one month following the presidential elections in Iran. In its report on Tuesday, August 30, the organization highlighted the execution of Reza Rasayi, a young man who was arrested during the nationwide protests of 2021 and was recently executed for the murder of a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. On August 16 of this year alone, 29 prisoners were executed in two prisons in Iran. The organization referenced a recent report from the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization, which indicated that in recent weeks, 26 individuals were executed in Qazalhasar prison and three in the central prison of Karaj on August 16. Among the 87 executed, 17 were charged with murder and seven for drug-related offenses, while two Afghan nationals were executed for sexual assault. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, stated on August 17 that the Islamic Republic is 'exploiting global attention on its tensions with Israel' to carry out 'mass executions of prisoners and intensify the atmosphere of repression in Iran.' Human Rights Watch has been monitoring serious human rights violations in Iran and the unfair trial processes in Iranian courts for years. Nahid Naghashbandi, an Iranian researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated that for the campaign slogans of Masoud Pezeshkian to have meaning, he must immediately intervene to abolish existing death sentences, suspend the death penalty, and call for judicial reform. She also noted that Iran's use of executions is 'a tool for intimidation' following unfair trials, particularly against those seeking reform of the government. She described the actions of the Islamic Republic as a 'horrific abuse of power' and called on other countries, especially those in contact with Iran, to condemn the execution process in Iran. Recently, Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed serious concern over the recent wave of executions in Iran. Last November, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had also warned about the 'alarming speed' of executions in Iran. According to Amnesty International, at least 850 people were executed in Iran in 2023, a 48% increase from the previous year, which the organization attributed to 'the Iranian government's efforts to instill fear and terror among the people regarding the consequences of protesting against the government.'