The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the sharp rise in executions in Iran during August, urging the government to halt the unlawful killings.
The United Nations has condemned Iran's recent surge in executions, calling for an immediate halt to the unlawful killings. The Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) released a press statement on August 30, expressing "deep concern" over the 93 executions carried out in the month of August alone.
Experts from the UN, including special rapporteurs on human rights, noted that only a fraction of these executions were officially reported by Iran, highlighting the urgent need for transparency. Nearly half of the August executions were reportedly carried out for alleged drug offenses, which the experts stressed violated international standards.
Iran's Execution Surge: U.N. Condemns Unlawful Spree
"Countries that retain the death penalty must ensure that individuals are not subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment throughout the criminal justice process," the experts said. They added that wrongful executions are irreversible and raised concerns that innocent individuals may have been executed in Iran.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran is a signatory to, limits the death penalty to only the "most serious crimes," which does not include drug offenses. Amnesty International has reported that Iran's executions have hit an eight-year high, with over 400 people executed this year, including over a dozen women.
Iran's Execution Surge: U.N. Condemns Unlawful Spree
The UN highlighted the case of Reza Rasaei, an ایرانی-Kurdish protester who was allegedly tortured into confessing to the death of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member. Despite co-defendants retracting their testimonies and a forensic medical examiner challenging Rasaei's involvement, the government proceeded with his execution.
Experts say that Iran's increased use of executions is not for punishment but for intimidation, aiming to instill fear among the population and tighten the government's grip on power.
Iran's Execution Surge: U.N. Condemns Unlawful Spree
"Show trials, forced confessions, and violations of due process feature all too prominently in these death sentence cases," said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
The UN special rapporteurs concluded their statement by renewing their appeal to Iranian authorities to halt executions of all individuals sentenced to death and to ensure the protection of human rights for all.
Iran's Execution Surge: U.N. Condemns Unlawful Spree
