Javad Larijani: Drug Executions Should Be Limited to Major Traffickers

The head of the Human Rights Headquarters of Iran's judiciary emphasized that the number of executions should be reduced if the death penalty is limited to 'the leaders of major and important traffickers.' He predicted that the effects of such a revision would become clear within six to seven months. According to a report from the Iranian judiciary's human rights website, Mohammad Javad Larijani, during his last day in Brazil, confirmed that '93 percent' of executions in Iran are related to drug trafficking. Mr. Larijani stressed that 'the death penalty should be limited to the leaders of major and important traffickers,' noting that this opinion is under discussion and such a move 'will immediately reduce the number of executions.' When asked about the timing of these changes, he said, 'I think we will see the first results of the revision within six to seven months, and gradually more changes will occur.' The head of the Human Rights Headquarters also pointed to the upcoming presidential elections next year, stating, 'It is important that this issue does not become a political topic during the electoral campaigns.' He also emphasized that 'no one should think that Iran is weakening its fight against drug trafficking; rather, it is changing its tactics and making the fight more practical.' The Secretary of the Human Rights Council of the judiciary has previously spoken about the futility of the death penalty for drug-related crimes and emphasized the need for legal changes in this area. In this context, Mohammad Baqer Olfat, the Deputy for Social Affairs and Crime Prevention of the judiciary, stated that the execution of 'drug traffickers' in Iran has not been 'deterrent.' Despite this statement, Sadeq Larijani, the head of the judiciary, has said that this branch has 'no plan to abolish the death penalty' for drug traffickers. In recent months, there have been discussions about converting the death penalty for drug traffickers to prison sentences, and 150 members of the Iranian parliament have also presented a proposal in this regard. In January 2016, some members of the ninth parliament had proposed a plan to convert the death penalty for unarmed drug traffickers to life imprisonment, but this plan did not proceed to review in parliament. Iran and China top the list of countries in the world for carrying out the death penalty, and human rights organizations, the United Nations Human Rights Commission, and international bodies have repeatedly warned and criticized the high number of executions in Iran. According to a report by Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 966 people were executed in Iran in 2015, marking an unprecedented number of executions in the past two decades. However, officials of the Islamic Republic have stated that a significant number of these executions are due to drug trafficking crimes, and Iran incurs substantial costs in combating drug trafficking. In this context, the head of the Human Rights Headquarters stated that Iran spends '200 million dollars annually' to combat drug trafficking. Mohammad Javad Larijani emphasized that 'the fight against drug trafficking should not stop; rather, we must enhance our power with the help of interested countries, develop international cooperation, and utilize modern technologies.' While the United Nations has criticized the per capita executions in Iran, it has always praised the country's fight against drug traffickers.