Iran Executes Man for Drug Offenses

An Iranian inmate convicted of drug offences was executed on Thursday at Hamedan Prison, a human rights group reported. 

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) identified the individual as Homayoun Salami.

No official government sources or domestic media outlets have reported on the latest execution.

According to a report by Amnesty International, Iran has reached its highest level of death sentences in the last eight years, with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic executing 853 people in 2023 alone.

The report indicates that 481 executions, more than half of the total, were related to drug crimes. 

This marks an 89 per cent rise in death penalties for drug-related offenses compared to 2022 when 255 people were executed. 

The latest numbers also show a staggering 264 per cent increase compared to 2021, when 132 individuals faced execution on similar charges.