Iran’s Escalating Use of Death Penalty: A Shocking Surge in 2024
Executions Reach Record High
According to a joint report by Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway, and Ensemble contre la peine de mort (ECPM), a French NGO, Iran executed at least 975 individuals in 2024, marking a staggering increase and the highest number since the organizations began tracking executions in 2008. The report underscores that this "appalling escalation" is likely an underestimation, as the vast majority (90%) of executions are not made public.
Political Repression and Targeting of Activists
The Iranian authorities employ the death penalty as a potent tool of political suppression. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of IHR, warns that "the Iranian people…represent the biggest threat to the regime, and the death penalty remains its most powerful tool of political repression." During the 2022-2023 protests, the government orchestrated a wave of arrests, leading to an escalation in executions, reaching an unprecedented rate of five to six per day.
Executions of Women, Minors, and Dissidents
Among the 975 executions in 2024, 31 were women, and four were subjected to public hangings. The report also highlights the execution of minors, including Mehdi Jahanpour, who was executed at 22 after being detained for murder when he was 16. The Iranian judiciary’s overreliance on confessions obtained through torture and the denial of access to legal representation further exacerbates concerns about the fairness and transparency of trials.
Drug-Related Offenses and Vague Accusations
While most executions in 2024 were for drug-related crimes, murder, and rape, the report also points to the use of ambiguous charges such as "corruption on earth" and "rebellion" to target dissidents. To date, Tehran has executed ten men, including two in 2024, in connection with the widespread "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini.
Ethnic Minorities at Risk
Ethnic minorities, particularly Baloch and Kurds, are disproportionately represented among those sentenced to death. Pakhshan Azizi and Varisheh Moradi, Kurdish women’s rights activists, are currently facing the death penalty for their humanitarian work.
International Condemnation
The report’s findings have sparked global outrage. Amnesty International has labeled Iran as the second-largest executioner worldwide after China. The European Union and the United States have condemned the country’s use of the death penalty, particularly in the context of the protests.
Calls for Accountability
IHR and ECPM demand an end to the death penalty in Iran and urge the international community to hold the Iranian authorities accountable for their systematic human rights violations. The organizations call for sanctions against individuals responsible for executions, support for independent investigations into alleged war crimes, and the establishment of a UN mechanism to monitor and report on Iran’s human rights situation.
Conclusion
Iran’s escalating use of the death penalty in 2024 is a grave violation of human rights and a chilling reminder of the regime’s authoritarian nature. The targeting of political activists and ethnic minorities underscores the need for concerted international action to address this crisis and ensure that those responsible for these heinous acts are held accountable.
