Alarming Rise in Executions in Iran: A UN Report Highlights Increasing Threats to Human Rights

In 2024, Iran reportedly executed at least 901 individuals, the highest in nine years. The report highlights an alarming surge in executions, which critics argue reflects a crackdown on dissent and a violation of international human rights norms.

Iran has reportedly executed a staggering total of at least 901 individuals in 2024, marking the highest figure recorded in nearly a decade, as revealed in a recent report by the United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk. This alarming statistic signifies a 6% increase from the previous year, when 853 executions were documented. Türk expressed deep concerns over the continuous rise in the application of the death penalty, stating, "It is high time Iran stemmed this ever-swelling tide of executions."

Most of the executions have been linked to drug-related crimes, although the UN report also highlights a concerning trend of dissidents and individuals associated with the protests that erupted in Iran in 2022 facing similar fates. In a grim revelation, the data indicated an uptick in the execution of women as well.

Turk has urged Iranian authorities to halt all executions and implement a moratorium on the death penalty, ultimately aiming for its abolition. He underscored that capital punishment contradicts the fundamental right to life and poses a significant risk of executing innocent people, particularly for actions protected under international human rights law.

Further contributing to the grim statistics, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) organization reported that at least 31 women were executed throughout the year, marking the highest recorded number since they began monitoring death penalties 17 years ago. Notably, many of these women were convicted of murder or drug-related offenses.

Activists have criticized the use of the death penalty for drug-related crimes, arguing that these offenses do not meet the criteria of "most serious crimes" that warrant such a severe punishment under international law.

In a related report by the Kurdish human rights group Hengaw, it was revealed that more than half of the executions were of individuals belonging to Iran's ethnic minorities, including 183 Kurds. This demographic has faced increased repression since the nationwide protests in 2022, sparked by the death in custody of a young Kurdish woman over the enforcement of morality laws.

Alarmingly, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) documented the execution of five juvenile offenders, directly contravening international law, which prohibits capital punishment for those under 18 at the time of their alleged crimes.

According to Amnesty International, Iran accounted for 74% of all documented executions globally in 2023, not including the extensive but undisclosed numbers believed to be occurring in China due to state secrecy surrounding such data.