Secretly Lethal: Iran's Surge in Executions Revealed
Executions in Iran: Number Reaches Approximately 1,000 Within a Year
Turn the page and you'll uncover a grim reality. In 2024, Iran executed a staggering 975 individuals, marking the highest annual number since 2015, according to a United Nations report presented by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. This shocking rise represents a significant leap from the 834 executions recorded in 2023.
Why such a chilling increase? The principal motives behind these alarming executions are:
- Drug-related offenses, accounting for an astounding 52% of the total.
- Murder, constituting around 43%.
- Sexual crimes, making up about 2%.
- Security-related offenses, including accusations of spying for Israel, around 3%.
The UN report also marks a few worrying trends:
- An increase in the number of women executed - 31 ladies, compared to 22 in the previous year. Among them, 19 were convicted of murder, with nine suffering under circumstances of domestic violence, forced marriages, or child marriages.
- Disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities, particularly the Baluch (108 executed) and the Kurdish (84 executed).
- The execution of at least one child, despite declines in juvenile executions since 2014.
- Public executions, with four such incidents reported by the UN.
- Underlying concerns about torture, unfair trials, lack of due process, and a crackdown on journalists and political dissidents, symbols of shrinking space for civil liberties and justice.
The UN has thus strongly urged Iran to act swiftly, imposing an immediate moratorium on the death penalty and halting all executions, particularly with a focus on protecting vulnerable groups such as minors, ensuring fair trial standards, and safeguarding human rights.
In the wake of Iran's alarming surge in executions, questions arise about the underlying causes. The community policy, as reflected in the nation's execution statistics, shows a heavy concentration on drug-related offenses, employment policy is not exempt from scrutiny given its apparent implication in the high percentage of murder convictions, and the same hold true for sexual crimes and security-related offenses. This concerning trend in general-news, including crime-and-justice, raises political questions about Iran's adherence to international human rights standards and its commitment to ensuring fair trials, due process, and the protection of vulnerable groups.
