Reports from the United Nations human rights office or Iran Human Rights

Iran Executed Over 900 in 2024, UN Says; 'No to Execution Tuesdays' Campaign Expands

Jan 7, 2025, 02:18 PM

More than 900 people were executed in Iran in 2024, including at least 31 women, marking a sharp rise in capital punishment cases, according to the United Nations human rights office and Iran Human Rights. The number of women executed is the highest annual figure in 17 years since the organization began documenting executions in 2008. Some of the women executed were convicted of killing their husbands, allegedly to fend off rape or after being forced into marriage. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the surge in executions as 'deeply concerning' and urged Iran to 'put an end to this wave' of capital punishment. The executions included members of ethnic minorities, such as Baluchis and Kurds, and individuals convicted of drug-related offenses. The 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign, a prisoner-led initiative against capital punishment, expanded to include 30 prisons, with inmates participating in hunger strikes. Additionally, Iran's judiciary confirmed the death sentences of political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, prompting further international concern. Activists and international organizations have criticized Iran's use of the death penalty as a tool of repression.