More than 80 human rights organizations from Iran and around the world have called on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to condition its ongoing cooperation with the Islamic republic on a halt in drug-related executions.
The groups, which include the Iran Human Rights Organization, the International Committee Against the Death Penalty, and the Global Campaign Against the Death Penalty in Iran, said on April 10 they were launching a global campaign to draw international attention to the issue amid a sharp rise in executions in Iran, especially for drug offenses.
"The execution of drug suspects has not had an appropriate international reaction. Their daily execution is accompanied by media silence and this has spurred the Islamic republic to increase executions related to drug crimes by 18 times compared to three years ago at next to no cost," the groups said.
According to a report released by Amnesty International on April 4, 853 executions were carried out in Iran last year, with at least 481 coming for narcotics convictions. Iran's government has been accused of weaponizing executions to quell unrest and in its war on drugs, even for minor offenses.
The number of executions in Iran in 2023 was the highest since 2015 and 172 percent higher that in 2021, when Ebrahim Raisi became president and Gholamhossein Ejei was made head of the judiciary.
Since the Iranian government does not publish official statistics on the number of executions, rights groups have to document cases using open sources such as state media and human rights organizations. Thus, they say, the actual number may be even higher.
"If we do not increase the cost of these executions for the Islamic republic, we fear hundreds of people will be executed on drug-related charges in the coming months," the group said.
Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the director of the Iran Human Rights organization, said the concerted campaign's aim to raise awareness among the international community that many of those executed belong to the most marginalized sections of society, including ethnic minorities such as Kurds and Baluchis, who are disproportionately affected.
The statement also highlighted the unfair trial processes for those accused of drug offenses in Iran, noting that convictions are often based on confessions obtained under torture with suspects not given access to legal representation.
The United Nations Human Rights Council recently extended the mandate of its special rapporteur on Iran, reaffirming the international community's concern over the human rights situation in the country.