At Least 166 Executions in October in Iran: Highest Monthly Execution Toll in Two Decades
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); November 2, 2024: Amidst escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, and under the cover of war propaganda, the Islamic Republic carried out at least 166 executions in October alone. This marks the highest number of executions recorded in a single month since Iran Human Rights began documenting executions in 2007. Among those executed were 13 Afghan nationals, six women, and an Iranian-German citizen.
Iran Human Rights warns that the Islamic Republic may take advantage of the rising conflict between Iran and Israel to escalate the number of executions in the coming months. The organization calls on the international community, media, and civil society to closely monitor and respond to this alarming rise in executions.
IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, said, “While the world’s attention is focused on the tensions between Iran and Israel, the Islamic Republic is using this opportunity to conduct the largest wave of executions in Iran’s prisons in two decades. The international community and countries with diplomatic ties to Iran must take this warning seriously and respond decisively to prevent further atrocities by the Islamic Republic.”
October 2024 Executions at a Glance:
- At least 166 people executed
- Six women were amongst those executed
- 80 people were executed for murder charges
- 64 people were executed for drug-related charges
- 12 people were executed for the security-related charges of moharebeh (enmity against god) and efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth)
- Only 20 executions (12%) were reported by official Iranian sources.
- Amongst those executed were 11 Baluch and 9 Kurdish citizens
- 13 Afghan nationals were amongst the recorded executions
- One executed prisoner had a history of mental illness and prior psychiatric hospitalisation
In the first 10 months of 2024, at least 651 people have been executed in Iran. Since the presidential election and the recent escalation in Iran-Israel tensions, the number of executions has surged. Since Massoud Pezeshkian took office, at least 353 people have been executed in the months of August, September, and October alone.
In October, executions included at least 80 for premeditated murder, 54 for drug-related offences, 12 for moharebeh or efsad-fil-arz and 10 for rape charges. Amongst those executed was Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German dissident who was kidnapped from the UAE and taken to Iran, where he was denied due process and sentenced to death in an unfair trial at the Revolutionary Court.
The number of executions of Afghan nationals has risen since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan. In 2022, 16 Afghan nationals, including a juvenile offender and a woman, were executed. In 2023, this number increased to 25. This year, the trend has accelerated further, with at least 49 Afghan nationals executed in Iran in the first 10 months of 2024, 13 of whom were executed in October alone.
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