UN: Over 900 people executed in Iran in 2024

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that Iranian authorities executed more than 900 people in 2024, with the death sentences of around 40 individuals carried out in the last week of December alone. Volker Turk, the High Commissioner, stated on Tuesday, January 8, that the increase in executions in Iran over the past year is very concerning. According to UN statistics, at least 853 executions were recorded in the previous year. Turk added, 'It is time for Iran to stop the rising trend of executions.' The Iranian judiciary issues death sentences for crimes such as murder, drug trafficking, and sexual assault. The rise in executions has faced severe backlash from human rights groups, which cite significant concerns regarding violations of international human rights standards. Iran ranks second globally in the number of executions, following China, where accurate statistics on executions are not available, according to human rights organizations, including Amnesty International. The Iran Human Rights organization reported that at least 31 women were executed in 2024. Human rights groups accuse the Islamic Republic of using the death penalty as a tool to instill fear and suppress society, especially following the widespread protests for 'Women, Life, Freedom.' The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that most of those executed were drug-related offenders, but some were government opponents and detainees from the protests of 2022, with an increase in the number of women executed last year. The Iranian government does not publish execution statistics, but Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, noted that the UN compiles its data based on information gathered by human rights groups, including Hengaw, HRANA, and Iran Human Rights. She emphasized, 'We are fully confident in these statistics.' The highest number of executions in Iran in a single year was in 2015, with at least 972 executions. Following reforms to drug-related criminal laws in 2017, the number of executions slightly decreased. However, the UN Human Rights Office spokesperson stated on Tuesday that since 2022, the number of executions has risen again, and the figures from last year are very high and shocking. Volker Turk further noted that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights opposes the death penalty under any circumstances, stating, 'The death penalty violates the fundamental right to life and increases the risk of executing innocent individuals. It must be stated clearly that this type of punishment should never be carried out in cases where international human rights laws are guaranteed.' The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded by urging the Islamic Republic to halt the implementation of the death penalty and ultimately abolish it in the country's criminal laws. Approximately 170 countries worldwide have either abolished the death penalty in their laws or suspended its implementation.