Rouhani Enacts Law Reducing Death Penalty for Certain Drug Traffickers

The President of Iran has enacted a new law that eliminates the death penalty for certain drug traffickers. The Iranian presidential website reported on Wednesday, October 25, that Hassan Rouhani has enacted the 'Law Adding a Clause to the Anti-Narcotics Law.' Previously, the spokesperson for the Guardian Council announced that this council approved the parliament's bill in its session on October 18 after representatives addressed the council's objections. The Islamic Consultative Assembly had agreed to the amendments proposed by the Guardian Council on October 4. According to the final bill, the death penalty for certain drug traffickers will be removed, and these individuals will be sentenced to 'first-degree imprisonment for up to thirty years' and fines. One condition considered in this law for issuing the death penalty for drug-related crimes is 'manufacturing, producing, distributing, selling, and importing' more than 50 kilograms of traditional drugs or more than two kilograms of synthetic drugs. Armed drug traffickers or traffickers who have a 'leading role' or 'financial supporter or investor role or have used children and adolescents under 18 years old or the insane to commit the crime' will still be subject to the death penalty. Additionally, those with a history of life imprisonment or imprisonment for more than 15 years due to drug trafficking will not benefit from the new law's reductions. Based on a clause added to the anti-narcotics law by the representatives' approval, reductions will also be applied to the sentences of those convicted of life imprisonment who do not meet the criteria outlined in this clause. Previously, several parliament members announced that with the amendment of the anti-narcotics law, 'more than five thousand prisoners will be saved from execution, and their sentences will change to 20 to 30 years in prison.' However, Amnesty International and the Boroumand Foundation, in a joint statement in July, called for the complete abolition of the death penalty for drug offenders and urged parliament representatives to reconsider this plan. Amnesty International and the Boroumand Foundation stated in their statement, citing Iranian officials, that the number of executed drug offenders has reached nearly 10,000 since 1988. Supporters of reducing penalties for drug-related crimes in Iran argue that these measures have had little impact on reducing drug trafficking and consumption.