Iran executed 354 people in first half, NGO says

A figure up 36% compared to 2022. At least 354 people were hanged in Iran during the first half of the year, according to the organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), Monday July 3. According to the organization, based in Norway, 20% of the executions recorded in 2023 affected members of the Baloch Sunni minority, particularly involved in the protest which followed the death of Mahsa Amini.

Human rights NGOs regularly accuse the Iranian authorities of using the death penalty to crush this protest, which began in September. “The death penalty is used to create fear in society and prevent further protests”said IHR Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam. “The majority of those executed are second-class citizens, from the most marginalized communities.”

Nearly 600 executions in 2022

A total of 206 people were executed for drug trafficking charges, a 126% increase from 2022. Among those executed, the NGO identified six women. Two men were hanged in public, and seven hangings were directly linked to the protests.

Iran executes more convicts than any other country except China, according to several human rights NGOs, including Amnesty International. In 2022, 582 people had suffered the death penalty, which was already a 75% increase compared to the previous year, according to Iran Human Rights.