UN High Commissioner Expresses Serious Concern Over Recent Wave of Executions in Iran

Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has expressed serious concern over the recent wave of executions in Iran. The Islamic Republic has executed 29 individuals in Iranian prisons over the past two days. Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, stated: "This [recent wave] indicates a very concerning number of executions in such a short period of time." Iran Human Rights Organization announced on Wednesday that the number of executed individuals on that day was "29 prisoners," noting that the death sentences of 26 men in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj and three other men in Karaj Central Prison were carried out in groups. Although the UN cannot independently verify the number of recent executions, the UN official stated that the reported executions have brought the total for this year to at least 345, including 15 women. The Iran Human Rights Organization based in Norway added that two Afghans and one member of the Baluch ethnic minority were among those executed, charged with murder, sexual assault, and drug-related crimes in Gohardasht Prison. The organization stated that since the election of Massoud Pezeshkian as President of Iran, at least 87 individuals have been executed in the country’s prisons within one month, from mid-July to mid-August. Throssell said: "It is concerning that most of those executed have been convicted of drug-related crimes and that minorities, including Kurds, Arabs, and Baluchis, have been disproportionately affected." She added: "The imposition of the death penalty for crimes that do not involve intentional murder is inconsistent with international human rights norms and standards." According to Amnesty International, at least 853 people have been executed in Iran in 2023, a 48% increase from the previous year, which the organization attributed to "the Iranian government's efforts to instill fear and terror among the people regarding the consequences of protesting against the regime." Last November, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned about the "alarming speed" of executions in Iran, the statements of the Supreme Leader regarding cyberspace, and the issuance of judicial sentences against female actors opposing mandatory hijab. Among numerous human rights recommendations to the Islamic Republic, the UN Secretary-General has urged Tehran officials to immediately halt all executions and abolish the death penalty altogether.