UN experts expressed grave concern on Monday over a dramatic increase in executions in Iran, which has brought the total number of executions in the country this year to over 400.
In August alone, Iran executed at least 81 people, a significant rise from the 45 executions reported in July. This sharp increase includes the execution of 15 women, according to a statement from 11 independent UN rights experts.
The experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but do not represent the organization, criticized the surge in executions, particularly highlighting that Iran now executes more people annually than any country except China.
Among the executions in August, 41 were for drug-related offenses, which the experts said violate international standards. They also noted a troubling rise in executions for drug offenses since 2021, with over 400 such executions carried out last year alone.
The experts criticized the Iranian judicial system, citing cases like that of Reza Rasaei, a Kurdish protester executed on August 6. Rasaei’s conviction was based on a confession reportedly extracted through torture, despite retractions from co-defendants and evidence disputing his guilt.
The UN experts urged a halt to executions, expressing extreme concern that innocent individuals may have been unjustly executed and calling for an immediate review of Iran’s death penalty practices.
