A Report on the Executions in the Past Year: October 11, 2022 – October 10, 2023
28-October-2023
Category: executions
October 15, 2023
News Category: Executions –
On the occasion of the World Day against the Death Penalty
According to the Statistics Centre of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, over the past year (October 11, 2022 – October 10, 2023), at least 730 prisoners have been executed in various prisons across Iran.
In the last year:
At least 4 accused- children were executed.
At least 11 female prisoners were executed.
At least 7 prisoners were publicly hanged.
At least 15 political prisoners were executed.
As per this report, over the past year, there has been a 36% increase in the number of executions compared to the previous year.
The chart below illustrates the statistics of executions in the past 5 years.
According to this report, the number of executions shows a 158% increase compared to the past five years. In other words, due to international inaction, almost every year during these five years, more lives have been taken.
It is now widely evident that the authorities of the Islamic Republic utilize the death penalty as a means of oppression, aimed at instilling fear and terror within society.
The number of executions has notably risen during Ebrahim Raisi’s presidency. Furthermore, during periods of heightened protests in Iran, the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has intensified executions. In the past year, a minimum of 15 political prisoners were executed.
Seven individuals who participated in last year’s protests in Iran were also hanged after unfair trials. Despite being condemned by various countries and international communities, the Islamic Republic authorities continue these actions without a decisive effort to halt the executions or hold them accountable.
The chart below displays the number of executions during the past year, divided by month.
The month of April coincided with the holy month of Ramadan in the Iranian and Islamic calendars. Therefore, the authorities of the Islamic Republic temporarily halted executions. As illustrated in the chart below, May 2023 shows the highest recorded number of prisoners who have been executed in Iran.
It’s worth noting that the majority of these executions occurred covertly, and, as usual, the authorities of the Islamic Republic keep the statistics on executions hidden. According to the chart below, 89% of executions were carried out in secret within prisons, and human rights activists, take great risk for documenting and publishing these statistics. Therefore, it can be said that the actual figures are significantly higher than the reported numbers.
The chart below illustrates the statistics of covert executions compared to officially declared executions in the past year, broken down by each month.
In the past year, the highest number of executions have been related to the prisoners charged with drug-related offenses. Despite human rights gestures from the judiciary authorities pretending a reduction in executions for drug-related charges, these numbers have increased in the past year.
In the past year, the highest number of executions were carried out on prisoners charged with drug-related offenses. Despite gestures by the Islamic Republic authorities claiming to respect Human Rights and proclaiming a reduction in executions for drug-related charges, these numbers have actually increased over the past year.
Between October 2021 and October 2022, 38% of executions carried out for drug-related offenses. However, in the past year, this figure increased by 19% to reach 57%.
The alarming increase in the execution of prisoners on drug-related charges must be taken as a serious warning.
The chart below shows the number of executions divided by charges:
Most executions have taken place within prisons. However, in seven cases, Islamic Republic authorities hanged prisoners in public. One of these executed individuals was Majid Rahnavard, a participant in the nationwide protests in 2022. While public executions account for only one percent of the total, their detrimental impact on society is far greater.
In terms of geographical distribution, executions have been carried out in 69 different cities, with Karaj having the highest number of executions. In recent years, Iranian authorities primarily used Rajaee Shahr Prison as the main location for executing death sentences in the Alborz and Tehran provinces. However, on August 5, 2023, this prison was officially closed by the judiciary authorities. Recent executions in the city of Karaj are now taking place in Ghezel Hessar Prison in Karaj.
The chart below illustrates the geographical distribution of executions:
