Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 10th May. UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Tuesday call the Iranian authorities to abolish the death penalty or halt all executions as the “frightening” number of 200 executions carried out this year in Iran.
Mr. Türk said that Iran is “one of the world’s highest executors”, with at least 209 people executed since this year alone and over 10 people are put to death each week in Iran according to sources quoted by the UN rights office in Geneva.
He said that executions are carried out “mostly” for drug-related offences. Mr. Turk added this was “incompatible with international human rights norms and standards”.
OHCHR said that minorities were over-represented on Iran’s death row, and said that according to sources, 45 people, including 22 from the Baluch minority, were executed in the last 14 days alone.
“Most were executed for drug-related charges”, he added.
“At this rate, Iran is worryingly on the same track as last year, when around 580 people were reportedly executed, said Mr. Türk.
“This is an abominable record, particularly when you consider the growing consensus for universal abolition of the death penalty.”
OHCHR said only a small number of States still impose and apply the death penalty.
The agency noted that on Saturday, Iran executed Habib Chaab, a Swedish-Iranian citizen from the Ahwazi Arab minority who had been charged and found guilty of “corruption on earth” a capital offence under Iran’s strict interpretation of Islamic law.
OHCHR stated Yousef Mehrdad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare had been executed for crimes including blasphemy.
Mr. Türk had called the death penalty an “atavistic relic from the past that should be shed in the 21st century”.
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