Iran executed 834 people in 2023 – Rights groups
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – More than 800 people have been executed by hanging, which Iran carried out in 2023, marking the highest figure since 2015, rights groups said on Tuesday.
According to a joint report by Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty, the number of executions carried out in Iran in 2023 exceeded 800.
It marked only the second time in two decades that such a high number was recorded, as the previous record was set in 2015 with 972 executions.
The report alleges that Iran is utilizing the death penalty as a means to terrorize the Iranian society following the protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
“Instilling societal fear is the regime’s only way to hold on to power, and the death penalty is its most important instrument,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.
He described the figure of 834 as a “staggering total”.
The report highlighted that while most hangings in Iran typically occur within the confines of prisons, in 2023, the number of public hangings tripled compared to 2022, with seven individuals being publicly hanged.
The report further added that 22 women were executed, marking the highest number in the past decade.
The rights groups highlighted that ethnic minorities, especially the Sunni Baluch from southeastern Iran, are executed in disproportionate numbers on drug-related charges.
Amiry-Moghaddam blamed the international community for its lack of serious reactions, saying, “The inconsistency in the international community’s reaction to the executions in Iran is unfortunate and sends the wrong signal to the authorities.”