Ahead of the World Day against the Death Penalty on October 10, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has released a report on Iran's implementation of death sentences, calling them "an indelible stain on the human rights record of the Islamic Republic."
Based on the report, Iran executed at least 251 people last year and 190 more in the first nine months of 2020.
Part of the report concerned the execution of people who committed crimes under the legal age, which is against Iran's international commitments.
The theme for this year's World Day Against the Death Penalty is defendants' right to access legal counsel, another relevant issue in the cases of those sentenced to death in Iran.
"Many death sentences in Iran are issued and executed without required legal procedures and observing the standards of a fair trial," FIDH says.
Claiming that the use of the death penalty in Iran violates numerous fundamental human rights and is inconsistent with international standards, the FIDH Secretary-General Adilur Rahman Khan said, "The unchecked use of the death penalty in Iran is an indelible stain on the country's human rights record. The government can make concrete progress towards the abolition of this outdated and brutal practice by simply respecting international treaties to which Iran is bound."
For many years, Iran has consistently ranked second on the list of the world's top executioners, after China.
International human rights monitoring organizations have regularly criticized Iran's application of the death penalty for being inconsistent with fundamental provisions of international law.
"Women are also subject to capital punishment as a result of the discriminatory nature of several laws that directly concern them. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals can face capital punishment as well because of the criminalization of certain same-sex conduct, which is punishable by death in Iran," the new report says.
Furthermore, according to the FDH report, "The death penalty in Iran has also been used against members of the country's ethnic communities - such as Kurds, Arabs, and Baloch - and religious minorities - such as Sunni Muslims, Baha'is, and followers of the Shia Ahl-e Haq sect."
The report also offers numerous recommendations to Iran's government to make progress towards the progressive abolition of the death penalty for all crimes.
FIDH, a member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, as well as LDDHI oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and actively work towards its abolition worldwide.
