Hundreds of Iranian Activists Demand Halt to Execution Spree

More than 430 Iranian civil and political activists have joined their voices in condemning the increasing use of the death penalty in Iran, saying the recent executions there were driven by “a desire for retribution, instilling fear and asserting power."

According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) group, the Islamic Republic authorities took at least 72 people to the gallows in January.

Referring to the recent execution of four Kurdish political prisoners, the activists wrote in a joint statement published on the Telegram account of the Kalameh news website: “If these young people had to be executed, why did you not hold their trials publicly?" 

In recent weeks, the sharp rise in executions in Iran sparked passionate calls from Iranian civil society to abolish the death penalty, with the hashtag #NoToExecution being increasingly popular among social media users.

United Nations experts said last month that at least 834 people were executed in 2023, including eight people associated with the 2022-23 uprising, and urged the Iranian government to “stop this horrific wave of executions.”