Iranian authorities have executed at least 841 people so far this year, marking a major increase, the UN human rights office said on Friday.
One hundred people were executed in July, more than double the number executed in July last year, according to the office of the high commissioner for human rights (OHCHR).
They included women, Afghans and ethnic minorities such as Baloch, Kurdish and Arab citizens.
“The high number of executions indicates a systematic pattern of using the death penalty as a tool of state intimidation and repression of any dissent,” UN chief spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.
Shamdasani said the OHCHR had observed a disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities and migrants on death row.
Iran has ignored multiple calls to join the worldwide movement towards the abolition of the death penalty, Shamdasani said.
Eleven people face imminent execution, six of whom are charged with “armed rebellion”, the OHCHR said. Five others face the death penalty in relation to their participation in 2022 protests.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk has called on Iran to temporarily halt carrying out the death penalty as a step towards completely abolishing capital punishment.
Reuters
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