Over Twofold Increase in Executions in Iran Over the Past Three Months; European Parliament Resolution

The European Parliament condemned the sharp increase in executions in Iran through a resolution; simultaneously, a human rights organization reported that the number of executions in the past three months has more than doubled compared to the same period last year. The Norway-based 'Iran Human Rights Organization' announced on Friday, April 15, that at least 230 people were executed in Iran during the first three months of the current calendar year. According to the statistics from the Iran Human Rights Organization, the executed individuals in the past three months included 222 men and eight women, with most of the charges being either murder or drug-related crimes. The 230 executions reported for the first three months of this year show a 109% increase compared to 110 executions during the same period last year. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the director of the Iran Human Rights Organization, warned of the risk of a 'significant increase in executions in the coming weeks.' According to the new report from the Iran Human Rights Organization, Mr. Amiri-Moghaddam stated, 'The officials of the Islamic Republic may exploit the focus of public attention on tensions between Iran and the United States to carry out more death sentences, including for political prisoners.' The number of executions last year was estimated to be at least 975, raising a wave of concerns and warnings. Among them, May Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, stated in her first report to the UN Human Rights Council in March that the number of executions in 2024 was the highest since 2015. She expressed concern that if this trend continues, the number of executions in Iran could exceed 'a thousand per year.' The UN Human Rights Council extended the mandate of May Sato and the fact-finding committee regarding Iran on Thursday. Ms. Sato, referring to the extension of her mandate, requested from the Iranian authorities on the social media platform X to allow her unrestricted access to Iran. The Islamic Republic only agreed to a limited visit by Reynaldo Galindo Pohl in the 1980s and has not allowed six other special rapporteurs to visit Iran. Meanwhile, the European Parliament on Thursday condemned the 'unprecedented increase in executions in Iran, especially targeting human rights activists, opponents, women, journalists, and minorities' through a resolution. The European Parliament reminded that Iran has the highest per capita execution rate in the world and warned that the human rights situation in Iran continues to deteriorate. This EU body condemned the confirmation of the death sentences for two political activists, Behrouz Ehsani and Mahdi Hasani, 'who are under torture and held in inhumane detention conditions.' The European Parliament also called for the release of all political prisoners sentenced to death, including Pakhshan Azizi, Varishe Moradi, and Sharifeh Mohammadi. This parliament has once again urged the Islamic Republic to immediately suspend death sentences and move towards the complete abolition of this punishment.