Iran's Escalating Execution Rate: A Call for Reform

In 2024, Iran saw an alarming rise in executions, reaching 901, including 31 women largely convicted for murder amidst contexts of abuse. Despite presidential promises to protect women and minorities, the U.N. highlights a troubling trend of increasing death penalties since 2015, urging Iran to implement reforms.

The United Nations human rights office has reported a disturbing increase in the number of executions carried out in Iran, reaching a staggering 901 last year. Among those executed were 31 women, many of whom were alleged murderers seeking reprieve from abusive situations or forced marriages.

This increase, which marks the highest number of executions since 2015, underscores a growing concern for political dissidents and those involved in mass protests. These protests, which erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish Iranian woman, in police custody, signified some of Iran's most severe social unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

While Iran's recently elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has pledged to bolster the rights of women and minorities, the U.N. urges swift action to stem what Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, describes as an 'ever-swelling tide of executions.' This call for reform points to the urgent need for significant changes in the country's legal and human rights practices.

(With inputs from agencies.)