Executions in Iran Surged by Nearly a Quarter over Past Year

At least 659 convicts were executed in Iran over the past year, an increase of 24 percent compared to the previous 12 months, according to an Iranian human rights group.

Thousands of convicts are languishing on death row after being denied a fair trial and due process.

Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) gave the figures in its Annual Report on Execution in Iran published on March 10, which marks the World Day against the Death Penalty.

The report says seven of the hangings reported between October 2022 and October 2023 were carried out in public (1.06 percent). 

Seventeen of those identified were women, a 15-percent decrease compared to the last period, and one was under 18 at the time of the alleged crime. 

According to the report, 56.6 percent of those executed had been convicted on drug-related charges, 35 percent for murder, 2.6 percent for rape.

Alborz province, where “three overcrowded prisons” are located, saw the highest number of executions (15.33 percent), followed by Sistan and Baluchistan (11.53 percent) and Kerman (8.65 percent).

As many as 63 percent of the executions confirmed by HRANA, the media outlet for HRA, were not announced by official Iranian sources.