There Are 'Four Thousand and Five Hundred' Indeterminate Death Sentences in Iran

A member of the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Parliament has reported the existence of four thousand and five hundred 'indeterminate death sentences' in Iranian prisons and has called for a review of the judicial laws of the Islamic Republic. Rouhollah Hazratpour stated in an interview with ILNA on Sunday (August 31) that the laws regarding executions and 'prison sentences' have 'problems' and called for their 'revision.' He added that 'prison sentences' in Iran are not 'deterrent' and that 'we are currently witnessing a vicious cycle of crime recurrence in the country.' He referred to the existence of four thousand and five hundred 'indeterminate death sentences' in Iran and said, 'We must find a solution for their problem as well.' The execution order for some prisoners convicted of murder requires a request for retribution from the victim's family. If the victim's family does not decide to execute retribution, it is possible that the imprisonment of these prisoners in an indeterminate situation may continue for many years. Hazratpour also announced the intention of the Legal and Judicial Commission to 'review' the 'laws related to executions and other problematic provisions.' The issue of revising some judicial laws, particularly those related to the death penalty in Iran, has been raised in some comments by judicial officials over the past year. Iran ranks second in the world for executions per capita, following China, with dozens executed annually on various charges. Islamic Republic officials have repeatedly stated that a significant portion of death sentences pertains to 'drug traffickers,' and in the past year, some judicial officials have spoken about the possibility of reconsidering these sentences. The continuation of death sentences for drug traffickers and the deterrent nature of such punishments in Iran has faced skepticism from 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 executions have not proven to be a deterrent for drug-related crimes. Javad Larijani, the Secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary, also stated in December 2014 that changing just one law could prevent 80% of executions in Iran. Larijani also acknowledged that imposing the death penalty for drug-related crimes and executing it over the past four decades has been ineffective and 'does not yield the desired result.' Meanwhile, according to statements from 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 its approval in parliament. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has also urged Iran to refrain from executing these convicts until the parliament decides on laws related to the punishment of drug traffickers. The high number of executions in Iran has been a major point of criticism regarding human rights conditions in Iran in recent years, and according to human rights organizations, under international law, drug-related crimes are not classified as serious crimes and should not warrant the death penalty. In this context, 22 human rights organizations have called for an 'immediate abolition' of the death penalty in Iran.