Iran is carrying out executions "at an alarming rate," putting to death at least 419 people in the first seven months of the year, the United Nations chief said in a new report. That's a 30 per cent increase from the same period in 2022.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report to the U.N. General Assembly on the human rights situation in Iran that seven men were executed in relation to or for participating in nationwide protests, sparked by the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was picked up by the morality police for her allegedly loose headscarf in violation of Iran's Islamic dress code.
In all seven cases, information received by the U.N. human rights office 바카라consistently indicated that the judicial proceedings did not fulfil the requirements for due process and a fair trial under international human rights law,바카라 Guterres said. 바카라Access to adequate and timely legal representation was frequently denied, with reports of coerced confessions, which may have been obtained as a result of torture.바카라
He said 239 people 바카라 more than half of those executed in the seven-month period 바카라 were reportedly put to death for drug-related offenses, a 98 per cent increase from the same period last year.
Guterres expressed deep concern 바카라at the lack of transparent and independent investigations into reported human rights violations, in particular in the context of the latest nationwide protests.바카라 He said the continued targeting of lawyers is also impeding accountability for past and ongoing violations.
The secretary-general cited information received by the U.N. rights agency that between September 17, 2022, and February 8, 2023, an estimated 20,000 individuals were arrested for participating in the protests.
바카라It is particularly concerning that most of the individuals arrested may have been children, given that the reported average age of those arrested was estimated to be 15 years, according to the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,바카라 he said.
The government said 바카라a minimum of바카라 22,000 people arrested during the protests were pardoned, but the secretary-general said it was difficult to verify the arrest and release numbers.
Guterres expressed concern that a number of individuals who were pardoned then received summonses on new charges or were rearrested, including women activists, journalists and members of minority groups. He cited reported instances of disproportionate and excessive use of force against protesters, and beatings and sexual violence after they were put in detention, as well as psychological abuse.
According to information received by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, three renowned female actors who appeared unveiled in public 바카라 Azadeh Samadi, Afsaneh Bayegan and Leila Bolukat 바카라 were convicted for not covering their hair, Guterres said. They were handed a range of sentences, 바카라including imprisonment from 10 months to two years, attending weekly counseling sessions, carrying out hospital cleaning duties, a two-year driving prohibition and providing a 'certificate of healthiness' upon completion,바카라 he said.
The report circulated Tuesday, covering the year-long period ending July 31, said 바카라the continued denial of adequate medical care in detention remains a serious concern.바카라
Reports indicate that the health of German-Iranian rights activist Nahid Taghavi, 69, who is serving a sentence of seven years and six months in the notorious Evin prison after conviction on national security charges, 바카라has significantly deteriorated in prison,바카라 the U.N. chief said.
On other human rights issues, Guterres said Iranian authorities continue to use national security "to justify restrictions on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, online and offline.바카라
He cited a June 27 speech by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling on the judiciary to 바카라eliminate dissenting voices바카라 online and tighten control over cyberspace.
Among many recommendations, the secretary-general urged Iran to immediately halt all executions, abolish the death penalty and release all people detained arbitrarily, 바카라including women and girls, human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists, for legitimately exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, association and peaceful assembly.바카라
He also urged the government to guarantee the right to peaceful assembly, to ensure that security at protests complies with international human rights norms and standards, and to respect the rights to due process and fair trials.
