THE DEATH PENALTY IN IRAN SHOULD BE STOPPED
By Mahdavi Nasim
The 10th of October, has been named the International Day against the Death Penaltyby dozens of human rights organizations.
The death penalty is abolished in 104 countries. Also, in 50 countries there is no death penalty as a punishment or its execution has been stopped. In 6 countries, the death penalty has been abolished, except in special cases (such as wartime). There are only 36 countries that the death penalty is actively carried out.
October 10th, World Day against Death Penalty is here, for citizens of countries with governments fixated with executing the cruel and inhuman punishment. It is a reminder that despite world’s grant entrance into the 21st century, there is still a long way to go before leaving this medieval punishment behind for good.
Iran is a prime example of such a mentality. By scratching the surface and getting a little deeper, for Iran’s rulers, it is not just a mere form of punishment. It is an instrument of spreading fear among the citizens. Even China, with a population 17 times larger than Iran, and a world’s leading advocate of death penalty, there is hardly any case of public hanging or juvenile execution.In the case of mullahs in Tehran, execution is a means to an end. It is only used to keep in check the fed up citizens. It is a reminder that dissidence will have dire consequences. The regime has tried throughout its life to sugarcoat and sell it to the rest of the world as a noble contribution in fight against drug smugglers.
Executions, torture, stoning, amputating hands and feet, and gouging out eyes are institutionalized in Iran and literally legalized by this regime’s so-called laws. Executions in Iran have become means to crackdown on people’s freedoms and quell social protests.
In Iran, people are executed by the state as punishment for a variety of crimes – sometimes for acts that should not be criminalized. Hundreds are hanged for non-violent drug offences. This day should involve Iranian regime who have not abolished the death penalty. Iran has the highest rate of executions per capita in the world.
From August 2013 to September 2017, the total number of executions during Rouhani’s tenure has reached 3,111 cases, Included 81 women and 24 who were under the age of 18 at the time of their arrest.
456 executions carried out in 2017. This includes 12 women and 4 juveniles at the time of their arrest. 238 people were executed in 2017 based on non-violent drug related charges. 2017 has so far witnessed 25 public executions.
Nevertheless, the true figures are definitely higher as most executions in Iran are carried out in secret.
A large number of defenseless prisoners are covertly executed in jails across the country and thousands of others are on death row.
Rouhani has specifically said these executions “are either based on God’s laws or legislations adopted by the parliament… and we are merely implementers.”
We call on all human rights organizations and advocates to pressure the mullahs’ regime to bring an end to executions in Iran.
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