UN human rights chief Volker Türk says Iran has executed at least 56 people on national security-related charges since 19 March, with the majority linked to cases tied to protests earlier this year. Türk made the remarks in a statement issued on Wednesday from Geneva, adding that 27 of the executions involve cases connected to the start-of-year protest period.
Türk says he is alarmed by what he describes as a rise in both executions and the number of death sentences issued in Iran since March. He characterizes the use of capital punishment as being applied, in his view, to instil fear and suppress dissent. The UN rights chief calls on Iranian authorities to halt all executions and to move toward abolition of the death penalty.
The sources consistently report the same overall figure, the start date for the period assessed, and the breakdown relating to protest-linked cases, while reflecting Türk’s broader concerns and recommendations regarding the trend and continued use of executions in Iran.
