The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed alarm over the increase in executions in Iran this year, with an average of more than ten executions per week. Most of the executions have been carried out for drug-related offenses, according to a UN statement. Türk described the number of executions as “abominable” and noted that Iran is on the same path as last year, when 580 people were executed.
If the trend continues, the country could reach one of the highest levels of executions since 2015, when 972 people were executed. The spokesperson for the High Commissioner, Ravina Shamdasani, also noted that a small number of countries still impose and apply the death penalty.
Türk has warned that the imposition of the death penalty for drug-related offenses is incompatible with international human rights standards and has pointed out that the Human Rights Committee prohibits the imposition of the death penalty for all crimes except the most serious crimes, which involve intentional killing and do not include drug-related offenses.
The UN has urged Iran to end executions and to review its laws to ensure they are compatible with international human rights standards. In addition, the organization has noted that the death penalty does not deter crimes and that its abolition is a way to protect people’s human rights.
Friday, May 10, 2024