The United Nations Human Rights Office Calls 901 People Executed In Iran In 2024, Including Dozens Of Women

Illustration. (Unsplash/mostafa melaji)

JAKARTA - The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday the number of people executed in Iran increased to 901 years ago, including 31 women, some of whom were convicted of killing their husbands to ward off rape or after being forced to marry.

Most of the executions were carried out for drug-related offenses, but political dissidents and people linked to the mass protests in 2022 over the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody were also among the victims, the UN statement said.

"It is very disturbing once again that we see an increase in the number of people sentenced to death in Iran from year to year," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\"urk said in a statement.

"It's time for Iran to stem the wave of executions that continue to swell," he added.

In total, at least 901 people were executed by hanging last year in Iran, compared to 853 people by 2023, the UN human rights office said.

It was the highest number since 2015, when 972 people were executed.

Separately, Iran's diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the UN statement.

Meanwhile, at least 31 women were executed in 2024, the highest number in at least 15 years, UN human rights office spokesman Liz Thorsell said at a news conference in Geneva.

"The majority of cases involve murder allegations. Most women become victims of domestic violence, child marriage, or forced marriage," he added.

One of the women executed for murder killed her husband to prevent her from raping her daughter, Thlsell told Reuters after the briefing.

It is known that President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist who won the presidential election in July 2024, promised to increase the protection of women's rights and minorities during the campaign.