Iran Executes 11 Prisoners Amid Rights Concerns

Eleven prisoners have been executed in the central prison of Karaj, five convicted of drug-related crimes, while investigations into the identities and charges of the others are ongoing.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said that no official information or statements regarding the executions had been provided by the authorities or relevant institutions. According to HRANA, responsible institutions have only disclosed about 34% of the executions carried out in Iran over the past year.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization reported another execution in Khorramabad on Saturday. The executed prisoner, identified as Reza Heidari, faced charges related to drug offenses, with the organization stating that he had been in detention for four years before being sentenced to death.

The Iran Human Rights Organization highlighted a continuous and significant increase in the execution of prisoners charged with drug-related offenses over the past three years. A comparison with the first six months of 2022, where 91 individuals were executed on drug-related charges, reveals a staggering 126% increase in the current year, with a total of 206 executions recorded under the charges.

According to HRANA's annual statistics, 2023 witnessed the execution of at least 791 citizens, including 25 women and 2 child offenders. This represents an alarming increase of over 33% compared to the same period in the previous year, raising concerns about the human rights situation in the country.