Pour Mohammadi: A Review of the Death Penalty's Scope and Applications is Necessary

The Iranian Minister of Justice emphasized that the death penalty "cannot be denied," while stating that "the volume of the death penalty in recent years has not been effective" and that there should be a review of "the scope and instances" of this punishment. According to the website of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Mostafa Pour Mohammadi said on Saturday, November 8: "The principle of the death penalty cannot be denied because there are some corrupt individuals in the country for whom there is no corrective measure other than the death penalty." He also announced that there are serious discussions regarding "the extent of the death penalty and the instances of crimes" for which the death penalty is considered. Pour Mohammadi emphasized that "the volume of the death penalty in recent years has not been effective" and should be reviewed, announcing that the judiciary also "generally accepts this view." The Minister of Justice stated that maintaining the death penalty is still "on the agenda," but "not to the extent" that is currently practiced in Iran. Mohammad Javad Larijani, head of the Human Rights Headquarters of the judiciary, had predicted in an interview with the Brazilian newspaper "O Estado" in October that the effects of such a revision would become apparent within six to seven months if the death penalty were limited to "the leaders of major and important traffickers." In this regard, Mohammad Baqer Olfat, the deputy for social affairs and crime prevention of the judiciary, also stated that the execution of "drug traffickers" in Iran has not been "deterrent." Despite these remarks, Sadegh Larijani, head of the judiciary, has stated that there is "no plan to eliminate the death penalty" for drug traffickers. In recent months, there have been discussions about converting the death penalty for drug traffickers to imprisonment, and 150 members of the Iranian parliament have also submitted 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 get reviewed in parliament. Meanwhile, Yahya Kamali Pour, deputy head of the Judicial and Legal Commission of the parliament, criticized the "one-dimensional actions" of officials in the drug area, stating that "the intimidating and criminalizing view of addicts does not play a role in reducing addiction." He added: "The lack of serious determination among officials to combat drugs and addiction has led to a routine that has gripped officials, and no one is looking for the causes and addressing the reasons for the increase in addiction." Kamali Pour emphasized that the Drug Control Headquarters only focuses on arresting addicts, while it has many responsibilities that it "does not pay attention to many of them," including organizing addicts and creating the necessary conditions for their reintegration into society. Iran and China are at the top of the list of countries in the world in implementing the death penalty, and human rights organizations, the United Nations Human Rights Commission, and non-governmental organizations have repeatedly warned and criticized the high number of executions in Iran. In a recent statement, the European Parliament also mentioned the reduction of the use of the death penalty as one of the main topics of discussion with Iranian officials.