The United States Condemns the Islamic Republic's Use of the Death Penalty Once Again

Abram Pili, the Deputy Special Representative of the United States for Iran, condemned the Iranian government's use of the death penalty once again on Monday, January 15, a day after the execution of 13 Iranian citizens by the Islamic Republic. Mr. Pili wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter): "The brutality of the Iranian regime in 2023 reached new levels with the execution of nearly 800 citizens - many of which were carried out following unfair trials and arbitrary detentions." According to this senior U.S. diplomat, the United States strongly condemns the Islamic Republic's use of the death penalty as a means to counter human rights abuses, which "often follow sham trials against defendants who lack adequate legal counsel." Human rights sources reported that Iranian judicial authorities executed at least 13 individuals in the central prisons of Karaj and Qazalhesar on Sunday morning, January 14. Additionally, one prisoner was executed on Saturday in Parsilon prison in Khorramabad. The execution of prisoners in Iran for various crimes has intensified in recent months, accompanied by significant domestic and international criticism. In recent days, the United Nations Human Rights Office announced that Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the execution of three men and one woman in Iran without a fair trial regarding alleged "espionage" charges as deplorable. Volker Turk also called for an "immediate halt" to further executions and a "formal end to the implementation of death sentences" in Iran. Abram Pili, the Deputy Special Representative of the U.S. for Iran, also condemned the issuance of death sentences by the Islamic Republic for Mohsen Malzom, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, and Mohammad (Hajir) Farahmandi, four Kurdish citizens in Iran on Thursday, January 12. Mr. Pili wrote on his messaging platform on X: "The Iranian regime continues to use false charges, forced confessions, and unfair trials to silence political opponents and peaceful protesters. Mahmoud Amiri Moghaddam, the director of Iran Human Rights, an organization based in Norway, previously told Voice of America that most citizens executed in Iran face charges related to drug offenses and murder, but over 40 years of executions have shown that they have not reduced violent crimes and drug offenses at all. The presence of lawyers and family members of the four Kurdish prisoners in front of Evin prison; demanding the cancellation of the death sentences and a public trial. A statement from 18 human rights organizations: The international community must prevent the execution of four political prisoners in Iran. The Iranian Writers' Association: Death sentences must be revoked. The wife of Mohsen Malzom, one of the four political prisoners: Do not let them be hanged. Amnesty International: Four Kurdish prisoners in Qazalhesar are at "serious risk of execution." Iranian judicial authorities executed Davood Abdollahi, a Sunni prisoner. Hengaw: The execution of Davood Abdollahi is expected to be carried out at dawn on Tuesday, January 3.