At least 901 people would have been executed in Iran in 2024, according to the UN

According to the United Nations High Commissioner, the number of executions in Iran increased in 2024 compared to 2023.

At least 901 people were executed in Iran last year, including around 40 in a single week in December, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, deplored on Tuesday January 7. This is more than last year, with at least 853 people having been executed in 2023 according to the High Commissioner. “It is very worrying that the number of people subject to the death penalty in Iran is increasing year by year”commented Volker Türk in a press release (in English), estimating that“It is high time that Iran puts an end to this wave of executions.”

During a press briefing, a spokesperson for the High Commission, Liz Throssell, explained that the figures come from “from different human rights organizations (…) that we consider reliable, HRANA, Hengaw and Iran Human Rights”. According to the statement, most executions in 2024 were for drug offenses, but dissidents and people linked to the 2022-2023 protests were also executed.

The Office also reports an increase in the number of women executed. According to Iran Human Rights, Iranian authorities have executed at least 31 women in 2024, a record since this non-governmental organization began in 2008 to record the application of capital punishment in the Islamic republic. According to several human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Iran is the country in the world that executes the largest number of people, apart from China, for which no figures can be obtained.