{"id":249348,"date":"2021-10-21T09:33:51","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T14:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=249348"},"modified":"2023-01-27T04:47:05","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T03:47:05","slug":"irans-increasing-execution-rate-fuels-calls-for-international-actions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/human-rights\/irans-increasing-execution-rate-fuels-calls-for-international-actions\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran\u2019s\u00a0Increasing\u00a0Execution Rate Fuels Calls for International Actions\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"execution-in-iran\"<\/span><\/p>\n

In the second week of October alone, at least 16 executions were carried out in Iran. With more than two months left until the end of 2021,\u00a0Iran under the mullahs\u2019 regime\u00a0has already exceeded estimates of the total number of executions in the previous year. According to Iran Human Rights Monitor, at least 255 executions were carried out in 2020, while the estimated total for 2021 stood at 286\u00a0on Monday, following three executions that day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Iran\u00a0under the clerical regime\u00a0has long maintained its status as the country with the highest annual rate of executions per capita<\/a>. In terms of raw numbers, only China with its population of over one billion carries out more state-sanctioned killings each year. Iran is also one of only a few countries in the world to routinely issue death sentences for persons who were under the age of 18 at the time of their alleged crimes. This practice is unequivocally banned under international law, as is the use of the death penalty.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of\u00a0the Iranian regime\u2019s\u00a0account of the total\u00a0execution, the fact remains that officials are quite willing to openly acknowledge the practice, thereby signaling their rejection of international human rights standards.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is worth noting the\u00a0well-recognized phenomenon of\u00a0the regime\u2019s\u00a0security forces securing\u00a0confessions under torture.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In some cases,\u00a0the regime authorities\u00a0use murder charges as a pretense for politically motivated executions. This was evidently the case with Navid Afkari, a widely admired champion wrestler who was accused of killing a security guard during anti-regime\u00a0protests and was executed in September 2020 despite an international campaign to\u00a0save\u00a0his life. It was later revealed that surveillance footage existed which appeared to prove his innocence, underlining\u00a0that he was\u00a0indeed\u00a0executed for participating in protests.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Afkari\u2019s<\/a> execution took place under the tenure of Ebrahim Raisi as head of the judiciary. Raisi had also overseen key aspects of the crackdown on nationwide protests in November 2019, which saw 1,500\u00a0protesters\u00a0killed and countless others tortured.\u00a0Earlier this year, Raisi was\u00a0selected as the regime\u2019s new president, sparking new protests over his role in the crackdown as well as his longstanding legacy as a violator of human rights and one of the regime\u2019s foremost advocates for capital punishment, other forms of corporal punishment, and the violent suppression of dissent.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Iran executes wrestler Navid Afkari<\/div><\/div>
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