Surge in Executions: 122 Individuals Put to Death in Iranian Prisons During November 2023
In the preceding month, the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran witnessed the executio
Hengaw: Saturday, December 2, 2023
In the preceding month, the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran witnessed the execution of no less than 122 prisoners. This figure marks a surge of 44 cases, constituting a 56.5% increase compared to October, when 78 executions were recorded. On average, nine prisoners faced capital punishment every two days in the past month.
According to data compiled by the Statistics and Documents Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the majority of these executions—56 cases—were linked to individuals accused of drug-related crimes. Additionally, 11 political and religious prisoners met the same fate in November. Furthermore, two minors and two women were executed in Sabzavar, Chabahar, Kerman, and Rasht prisons.
The breakdown reveals that 23 Baloch prisoners (19%) and 19 Kurdish prisoners (15.5%) were among those executed in November. Moreover, eight Turkish prisoners, five Lor and Bakhtiari prisoners, five Gilak prisoners, and three Afghan citizens faced capital punishment in Iranian prisons during the same period.
Alborz province witnessed the highest number of executions, with 39 cases. Sistan-Balouchistan province reported 13 cases, Fars province recorded 12 cases, and Isfahan province documented five cases.
Categorizing the charges, drug-related crimes accounted for the highest number of executions at 46% (56 cases). Other charges included political and religious activism (11 cases), murder (53 cases), rape (one case), and armed robbery (one case).
