Six More Prisoners Hanged in Iran amid Spike in Executions

The Iranian authorities executed six more people this week, bringing the total number of executions since the beginning of the year to at least 455, human rights activists say.

Four prisoners sentenced to death on drug-related charges were hanged on August 6 in Karaj Central Prison, near Tehran, according to the Haalvsh human rights website. 

In the north-eastern city of Mashhad, two Baluch prisoners were hanged on August 10 without the knowledge of their families. 

The pair had also been sentenced to capital punishment on drug-related grounds.

Iran sees a surge in executions following months of nationwide protests sparked by the September 2022 death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. 

Human rights groups say the rise reflects an effort by the Islamic Republic to “instill fear” among anti-establishment protesters.

According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group and France’s Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), Iranian authorities executed at least 582 people in 2022, 75 percent more people than the previous year. 

As many as 174 Baluch prisoners were among those executed last year, representing more than a third of all executions in the country.