Iranian Teachers Associations Condemn Ongoing Execution Spree

The Coordination Council of Teachers Associations in Iran has issued a condemnation of the ongoing wave of executions in the country, at record highs since the founding of the Islamic Republic.

In a statement, the council emphasized that despite the continued use of capital punishment, the government has failed to suppress the people of Iran who have been in the midst of the biggest anti-government unrest since the regime came to power.

"The act of execution is an inhumane, irrational, unethical practice and is the product of the will of the ruling minority, and until today, the punishment of execution has failed to subdue the people of Iran," the association statement said.

The condemnation follows Monday's outcry by over 430 civil and political activists within Iran, who criticized the execution spree, citing contradictions with the country's legal system.

The executions of four Kurdish prisoners—Pejman Fatehi, Mohsen Mazloum, Mohammad (Hazhir) Faramarzi, and Vafa Azarbar— at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, near Tehran, in late January ignited significant outrage. The men were accused of plotting to blow up a defense ministry facility in Najafabad in July 2022, as well as being labeled Israeli agents. Their executions particularly incensed many Iranians, leading to a general strike in Kurdish areas of the country.

Furthermore, the recent executions of Mohammad Ghobadlou, a protester from the 2022 demonstrations, and Farhad Salimi, a Kurdish political prisoner accused of murder, have drawn widespread condemnation from both domestic and international human rights organizations.

The surge in executions in Iran is notable, with 90 executions reported between December 22 and January 21 alone. According to UN experts' reports, Iran executed at least 834 Iranians in 2023, with eight of them reportedly linked to nationwide protests.