Malekshahi: Abolishing the Death Penalty for Drug Traffickers Requires National Consensus

Aliyar Malekshahi, the head of the Judicial and Legal Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated regarding the laws on the death penalty for drug traffickers in Iran and the possibility of abolishing it that "without a doubt, some laws need to be reformed." This parliament member emphasized: "The reality is that to abolish the death penalty for drug traffickers, a national consensus must be reached." Mirhadi Qara Seyed Roumiani, a member of the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, reported on December 7 that a proposal prepared and reviewed by 70 representatives in the Assembly would replace the death penalty with life imprisonment for drug traffickers, except for those who engage in armed drug trafficking. In this context, Aliyar Malekshahi stated on Saturday, December 25, in an interview with the "House of the Nation" news agency, that "this proposal is very raw and has not yet been reviewed by experts in the commission." He expressed that "without a doubt, some laws need to be reformed" and added that "the proposal to abolish the death penalty for drug trafficking needs to be refined in the commission." Malekshahi clarified: "Drug trafficking is a transnational phenomenon, and it seems that besides the legislative branch, the judiciary and executive branches should also provide their statements and reviews on this issue." The continued execution of drug traffickers and the deterrent nature of such punishments in Iran have been questioned by some experts and officials in recent years. Previously, Hossein Mir Mohammad Sadeghi, the legal deputy of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Discernment Council, stated in an interview with Khabar Online that the death penalty has not been a deterrent for drug-related crimes. Javad Larijani, the secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary, also announced in December 2014 that changing just one law could prevent 80% of executions in Iran. Furthermore, according to statements from Iranian parliament representatives, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has agreed to amend and revise laws related to the execution of drug offenders in Parliament or to present a bill from the judiciary for approval in Parliament. While the proposal to abolish the death penalty for drug trafficking suspects has been presented by parliament representatives, the official website of the judiciary in Hormozgan Province reported on Sunday, December 29, the execution of five "armed criminals" and "drug traffickers" in the central prison of Bandar Abbas. These executions were carried out at a time when last week the UN General Assembly expressed concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran in a resolution that was positively voted on by 81 countries. According to reports from Agence France-Presse, at least 800 people have been executed in Iran this year on various charges. "Drug traffickers," "armed robbers," and those convicted of murder are at the top of the executed in Iran. In this context, eight people were executed in Iran within a few days. The death sentence of Mohammad Ali Taheri was "overturned."