Unprecedented Increase in Executions in Iran; Islamic Republic Executed 142 People in One Month

The Iran Human Rights Organization reported that the execution of 142 individuals in the past month in Iran is an "unprecedented record" since 2015. According to the report released on Thursday, June 1, more than half of those executed were sentenced to death on drug-related charges, and 21% of the executed individuals were Baloch citizens. The report states that in the past five months, 307 individuals have been executed, which is a 76% increase compared to the same period last year. Approximately 60% of those executed in the past five months were accused of drug-related offenses. The Iran Human Rights Organization reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has expanded the range of charges leading to death sentences by executing two individuals for expressing opinions online (sabb al-nabi) and for sexual relations (zina muhsana). Mahmoud Amiri-Moghadam, director of the Iran Human Rights Organization, stated that the Iranian government's goal in increasing executions "excessively" is to "spread fear to prevent the spread of protests and ensure its survival." He called for a "stronger" response from the international community, warning that otherwise, "hundreds more will fall victim to the execution machine of the Islamic Republic in the coming months." Recently, six lawyers sent a letter to Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, calling for the "control or limitation" of the death penalty in Iran and other countries. These six Iranian lawyers attributed the increase in executions to the "Women, Life, Freedom" protest movement and urged Guterres to encourage UN member states to eliminate or at least limit the issuance of death sentences. Mohammad Oliaei-Fard, one of the signatories of this letter, previously told the Persian section of Voice of America that the Islamic Republic uses executions as a political tool. On the other hand, 24 women's rights organizations issued a joint statement announcing protests to garner international support against "government killings." The Iran Human Rights Organization warned about the rising trend of executions this year, noting an 85% increase in executions in 2022 compared to the previous year. Calls for the release of political prisoners and the cessation of death sentences for condemned prisoners were made during protests by Iranians in Sweden, while the slogan "Death to the Execution Republic" was chanted at a protest by Iranians in Oslo on Saturday, June 6. Molavi Abdolhamid questioned why representatives do not protest against the numerous executions. The letter from six Iranian lawyers to Guterres called for the death penalty to be "eliminated or limited." A statement from several families of victims residing in Iran urged for the executions to be stopped. Pegah Bani Hashemi, a legal expert, stated that public executions are a "disgraceful punishment" with "permanent negative effects." The execution of 10 prisoners in one day raised alarms from the Iran Human Rights Organization regarding the implementation of public executions.