Iran Human Rights Monitoring: A Prisoner is Executed Every Six Hours in Iran

According to the Iran Human Rights Monitoring Organization, in the first ten days of the current Gregorian month, the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has executed the death sentences of 40 prisoners in Iranian prisons. This human rights organization states that, on average, 4 prisoners are executed daily in Iran, meaning that a prisoner is executed every six hours. The Iran Human Rights Monitoring Organization has described this statistic, which has increased by nearly 160% compared to the first ten days of the previous month, as 'very concerning,' noting that among the executed are a political prisoner and a woman. The organization reminds that the recent executions have not been reported in any state media or institutions affiliated with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic and have been carried out in complete media silence. These executions took place in the prisons of Urmia, Semnan, Kerman, Isfahan, Qom, Kermanshah, Zanjan, Tabriz, Qazvin, Shiraz, and Ardabil. More than 60% of those executed in the first ten days of the current month were convicted of drug-related offenses. This is while, according to this human rights organization, prisoners related to drug offenses are often from the outskirts of cities and from the impoverished classes of society, who are sentenced to death through an unfair judicial process. Under international law, drug-related crimes should not be subject to the death penalty. The report mentions the execution of a political prisoner, a female prisoner, and a foreign citizen as follows: Execution of a political prisoner: On Wednesday, April 12, 1403, the death sentence of Anwar Khazari, a Kurdish Sunni political prisoner, was carried out after 15 years of imprisonment in Qazalhasar prison in Karaj. Execution of a female prisoner: On Wednesday, April 19, 1403, the death sentence of Fariba Mohammadzehi from Zahedan was carried out in Kerman Central Prison. She had been sentenced to death for drug-related offenses. Secret execution of a foreign national: On Wednesday, April 19, 1403, the death sentence of a 40-year-old Afghan national named Khan Mohammad Ishaqzahi was carried out in Semnan Central Prison. The execution of this prisoner was carried out secretly and without the knowledge of his family. The increase in executions in Iran by the Islamic Republic has been met with criticism from many activists and human rights organizations worldwide. Steve Cohen and Tom McClintock, Republican lawmakers and co-chairs of the Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, condemned the increase in executions in Iran as being 'on the direct orders of Ali Khamenei.' According to them, the alarming escalation of state violence by the Islamic Republic indicates the Iranian government's blatant disregard for the right to life and international human rights norms. These two Republican lawmakers stated that the Iranian government's aim in executing 'at least 37 people in the last 10 days' is to instill fear among the Iranian people and suppress any form of dissent. They specifically pointed to the executions carried out in Isfahan, Bandar Abbas, Gonbad Kavous, Tabriz, and Arak, deeming this trend of the Islamic Republic not only condemnable but indicative of the systematic efforts of this government to suppress any form of dissent or criticism. Over 100 artists, musicians, and writers have called for the immediate abolition of the death penalty and the release of Tomaj Salehi. A new wave of arrests of Kurdish activists coincides with the anniversary of the execution of Farzad Kamangar and three other political activists. Five prisoners in Iran have been executed for drug-related charges. Human rights ambassadors from 11 European countries condemned the death sentence issued for Tomaj Salehi. Two American lawmakers strongly condemned the increase in executions in Iran as being 'on the direct orders of Ali Khamenei.' Hengaw: The number of executions in Iran increased by 328% in one month.