Iran Executes at Least 12 Prisoners in a Day

The Islamic Republic's authorities executed at least 12 prisoners on Wednesday, human rights organizations reported. 

"Yesterday, at least 12 people were executed in Iran—eleven in Ghezel Hesar prison and one in Khorramabad," said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization.

"We must not become accustomed to daily, extrajudicial state killings. Those who are executed are among the most vulnerable in society and have no voice. Like you and me, they are human beings with families," he added.

According to Amnesty International, in 2023 alone, the Islamic Republic's judiciary executed 853 people, marking the highest number of executions in the country in the last eight years.

Of those executed, 481 were convicted of drug-related crimes, representing an 89 percent increase compared to 2022, when 255 people were executed.

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