Iran's executions surge over 1,400 since Mahsa Amini's death, report reveals

At least 1,425 people have been executed in Iran since Mahsa Amini’s death in custody ignited widespread protests in September 2022, according to a new report by the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization.

The report , released on Monday, highlights that executions have nearly doubled in the two years following the protests compared to the same period before. Notably, executions related to alleged drug offenses saw a dramatic increase of 163%, rising from 302 cases to 796, News.Az reports.

IHR Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam commented that the death penalty has become a key tool for the Islamic Republic to instill fear, suppress dissent, and prevent future protests.

“The death penalty is the Islamic Republic’s most important tool to create societal fear with the aim of suppressing protests and preventing further protests. Drug-related defendants who are executed without fair trial rights based on Revolutionary Court rulings, are the low-cost victims of the Islamic Republic’s killing machine. We call on the international community and the UN Fact-Finding Mission in particular, to investigate their use of the death penalty as part of the investigation into the crimes committed during the suppression of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ nationwide protests," he noted.

According to a report by Amnesty International released in May, Iran conducted the highest number of executions of any country outside China last year, accounting for nearly 75% of all executions globally outside China.

In response to the increase in death sentences, foreign ministers from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand issued a joint statement on Monday condemning the surge in executions.

News.Az