The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, has expressed alarm over the sharp increase in executions in Iran, calling on the country to halt all further executions of people facing the death penalty for various crimes. In 2024, at least 901 people were reportedly executed, with 40 carried out in just one week in December.
The highest number of executions in recent decades was reached in 2015 when at least 972 individuals were executed. The number of executions has risen sharply since 2022. Most of the executions last year were for drug-related offenses, but dissidents and people connected to the 2022 protests also faced execution.
A report by the International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran found “credible figures” of up to 551 deaths, including at least 49 women and 68 children who died in 26 out of 31 provinces. The human rights office notes that the majority of cases involve charges of murder, often against victims of domestic violence or forced marriage.
Human Rights chief Türk urged Iranian authorities to place a moratorium on the use of the death penalty “with a view to ultimately abolishing it.” He stated that the death penalty is incompatible with the fundamental right to life and raises the unacceptable risk of executing innocent people. The UN opposes the death penalty under all circumstances, as it can never be imposed for conduct protected under international human rights law.
Source: https://www.voanews.com/a/un-calls-for-halt-to-all-executions-in-iran-as-numbers-surge/7927391.html