Iran Executed 834 People In 2023, Highest Since 2015
According to two rights groups on Tuesday, Iran executed 834 people in 2023 - the highest number since 2015 - as the death penalty increased in the Islamic Republic.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuMar 07, 202418 Shares8.9K Views
According to two rights groups on Tuesday, Iran executed 834 people in 2023- the highest number since 2015 - as the death penalty increased in the Islamic Republic. Iran has executed more people by hanging in recent years than it did in 2022 - a rise of almost 43%.
After 972 executions in 2015, it was only the second time in 20 years that more than 800 executions were reported in a single year, according to a joint report by Together Against the Death Penalty, based in Paris, and Iran Human Rights (IHR), located in Norway.
The report underscores that Iranian authorities are employing the death penalty as a tool to "instil societal fear," particularly in the wake of nationwide protests primarily led by women and girls. The demonstrations, sparked by the tragic death of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022, resulted in a violent crackdown by Iranian authorities.
While acknowledging at least eight executions of protesters in the past year, the report highlights that the bulk of the executions were allegedly carried out on drug-related charges (56%) and murder charges (34%). Iran Human Rights Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam condemned the regime's tactics, asserting, "instilling societal fear is the regime's only way to hold on to power."
Dr. Sanam Vakil from the Chatham House think tank weighed in, stating, "there certainly appears to be a correlation between protests, harsh sentencing, and executions as part of the Iranian government's efforts to curb further wide-scale dissent."Vakil also emphasized that most cases lacked sufficient evidence and due process, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the judicial proceedings.
The reported number of executions in 2023 marked a disconcerting 40% increase from the previous year's figure of 582, making it the second-highest since records began 16 years ago. Notably, the executions included at least 471 people on drug-related charges, a staggering 18 times higher than the figure reported in 2020.
The report criticized the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for what it termed as "an alarming silence" on the issue. In response, a UNODC spokeswoman emphasized the organization's opposition to the death penalty and called on member states to suspend executions "with a view to abolishing the death penalty, without delay."
Baluch minorities, constituting approximately 2-6% of Iran's population, were alarmingly identified as "grossly overrepresented" among the number of executions, with 138 drug-related executions. The report further outlined executions based on charges such as "moharebeh and corruption on earth" (39), rape (20), unknown (19), blasphemy (2), and adultery (1).
A disturbing highlight was the execution of at least 22 women last year, marking the highest number since 2013. The findings bring back attention to the words of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, who, in response to nationwide protests, previously asserted that using "criminal procedures to punish people for exercising their basic rights" amounts to "state-sanctioned killing."
Conclusion
According to a study produced by rights groups, Iran executed at least 834 people in 2023 - the second-highest number of executions in the past 20 years. The study, which was published on Tuesday by Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) in Paris and Iran Human Rights (IHR) in Norway, indicates that the nationwide demonstrations that followed Mahsa Amini's 2022 death while in police custody were the reason behind the last year's 43 percent increase in the use of the death penalty.
Although there was a strong correlation between nine executions and attacks on security officers during the 2022 protests, the death penalty was also applied more frequently concerning other offenses. More than half of the cases involved drugs, and 471 people were killed as a result of these allegations.
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Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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