Escalation of Executions in Iran: UN Reports Alarming Increase in 2024**

The United Nations reports a significant rise in executions in Iran, which reached a staggering 901 last year, amidst increasing international outcry regarding the use of the death penalty.**

In a chilling report released by the United Nations, Iran has reportedly executed at least 901 individuals in 2024, marking the highest number of executions in nine years. This statistic signals a 6% increase from 2023 when 853 people lost their lives through state-sanctioned capital punishment. Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, expressed profound concern, noting the disturbing trend and urging the Iranian authorities to halt this alarming escalation.

“The time has come for Iran to confront this relentless increase in executions,” Türk stated. The majority of these executions were attributed to drug-related offenses, although the execution of political dissidents and individuals linked to the 2022 protests was also reported. Notably, there has been a worrying rise in the number of executions involving women, with the Norwegian organization Iran Human Rights (IHR) reporting 31 women executed in 2024—the highest figure since monitoring began.

Many of these women, including Leila Ghaemi, who was convicted of murder in the wake of a traumatic event involving her daughter, and Parvin Mousavi, who was executed for transporting illegal drugs under deceptive circumstances, illustrate the dire implications of Iran's judicial practices. Human rights advocates argue that such drug offenses fail to qualify as the "most serious crimes," which international law stipulates must warrant the death penalty.

Additionally, a report by the Kurdish human rights group Hengaw revealed that over half of those executed belonged to ethnic minorities, with 183 Kurds among them. The UN has previously highlighted how ethnic and religious minorities have faced disproportionate repercussions following the nationwide protests triggered by the death of a young Kurdish woman in the custody of morality police.

The figures are troubling, with the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) also confirming the execution of five juvenile offenders, a practice condemned by international law. Amnesty International's statistics indicate that Iran accounted for a staggering 74% of all documented executions worldwide in the prior year, aside from China, which is suspected to conduct thousands of executions annually in secrecy.

As the international community watches closely, calls for a moratorium on executions in Iran continue to grow, highlighting a need for urgent reform in a system often described as inconsistent with fundamental human rights.