The Iranian authorities have already executed at least 173 people sentenced to death for drug-related offenses after systematically unfair trials in 2023. That is almost three times as many as in the same period last year. Those most affected are people from marginalized and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Executions for drug-related offenses accounted for two-thirds of all executions carried out in Iran in the first five months of 2023. About 20 percent of the recorded executions were of members of the persecuted and impoverished Baloch ethnic minority, even though they make up only 5 percent of the Iranian population. Baloch people are also part of the population disproportionately affected by the deadly crackdown on the current protests in Iran. Julia Duchrow, Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany, says: "The shameless speed with which the Iranian authorities execute people for drug-related offenses reveals their lack of humanity and blatant disregard for the right to life. These executions violate international law. They are deliberately used as a tool of repression and intimidation. The international community must ensure that the fight against drug trafficking does not directly or indirectly contribute to arbitrary executions and other human rights abuses in Iran. States and international institutions must condemn in the strongest possible terms the Iranian authorities for these arbitrary executions and call for an official moratorium on executions. Their representatives must visit prisoners who are sentenced to death and attend trials where death sentences could be imposed. With impunity for those responsible for arbitrary executions, they urgently need to find meaningful ways to enforce accountability." Extension of the wave of executions In Iran, the number of executions – regardless of the alleged crime – has increased significantly this year. At least 282 people have already been executed in 2023 – almost twice as many as in the same period last year. In 2022, Amnesty documented a total of 168 executions in the first five months. Executions for unfair trials for drug-related offenses almost tripled, with 173 people executed from January to late May 2023. In 2022, the number of executions was 67 compared to the same period. If the authorities continue executions at this rate, the number of prisoners killed could reach almost 1,000 by the end of the year.
Amnesty International Instagram post: Unlock Instagram We respect your privacy and therefore do not connect to Instagram without your consent. Here you can manage your settings to connect to the social media channels. MANAGE PRIVACY SETTINGS The Iranian authorities also execute prisoners on other charges, which under international law should not carry the death penalty. In 2023, five people were executed in connection with protests, a man was executed for "adultery" for having consensual sexual relations with a married woman, and two social media users were arrested for, among other things, "apostasy" and " insulting the Prophet of Islam". Again and again people are executed who were minors when they were arrested. The death penalty for minors is prohibited under international law without exception. Duchrow says: "The current wave of executions is above all a clear attempt to intimidate the legitimate protest movement in Iran. The Iranian authorities not only deny their citizens the human right to freedom of expression and assembly, but also the right to life. The death penalty takes that away right to life and is the most cruel, inhuman and degrading of all punishments." Deadly war against people in poverty Vulnerable people and people living in poverty are particularly affected by the death penalty, as they often do not know their rights and cannot afford independent legal advice. The families of those executed often struggle with the severe economic consequences of losing a breadwinner and running high in debt due to court costs. Drug-related executions are often preceded by flawed investigations by Iran's anti-drug police and other security agencies. Drug-related trials are conducted in revolutionary courts and are systematically unfair, with prisoners denied the right to due process, including access to a lawyer, and "confessions" extracted through torture used as evidence in their conviction.
The Iranian authorities have already executed at least 173 people sentenced to death for drug-related offenses after systematically unfair trials in 2023. That is almost three times as many as in the same period last year. Those most affected are people from marginalized and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Executions for drug-related offenses accounted for two-thirds of all executions carried out in Iran in the first five months of 2023. About 20 percent of the recorded executions were of members of the persecuted and impoverished Baloch ethnic minority, even though they make up only 5 percent of the Iranian population. Baloch people are also part of the population disproportionately affected by the deadly crackdown on the current protests in Iran. Julia Duchrow, Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany, says: "The shameless speed with which the Iranian authorities execute people for drug-related offenses reveals their lack of humanity and blatant disregard for the right to life. These executions violate international law. They are deliberately used as a tool of repression and intimidation. The international community must ensure that the fight against drug trafficking does not directly or indirectly contribute to arbitrary executions and other human rights abuses in Iran. States and international institutions must condemn in the strongest possible terms the Iranian authorities for these arbitrary executions and call for an official moratorium on executions. Their representatives must visit prisoners who are sentenced to death and attend trials where death sentences could be imposed. With impunity for those responsible for arbitrary executions, they urgently need to find meaningful ways to enforce accountability." Extension of the wave of executions In Iran, the number of executions – regardless of the alleged crime – has increased significantly this year. At least 282 people have already been executed in 2023 – almost twice as many as in the same period last year. In 2022, Amnesty documented a total of 168 executions in the first five months. Executions for unfair trials for drug-related offenses almost tripled, with 173 people executed from January to late May 2023. In 2022, the number of executions was 67 compared to the same period. If the authorities continue executions at this rate, the number of prisoners killed could reach almost 1,000 by the end of the year. Deadly war against people in poverty Vulnerable people and people living in poverty are particularly affected by the death penalty, as they often do not know their rights and cannot afford independent legal advice. The families of those executed often struggle with the severe economic consequences of losing a breadwinner and running high in debt due to court costs. Drug-related executions are often preceded by flawed investigations by Iran's anti-drug police and other security agencies. Drug-related trials are conducted in revolutionary courts and are systematically unfair, with prisoners denied the right to due process, including access to a lawyer, and "confessions" extracted through torture used as evidence in their conviction.
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