According to a recent report by Iran Human Rights (IHR), the country has been executing individuals at an alarming rate of one person every six hours in the past ten days.
This revelation follows the execution of Habib Farajollah Chaab, a Swedish-Iranian man accused of killing people at a military parade in 2018, just two days ago.
Over the past 10 days, Iranian authorities have put 42 individuals to death by hanging, with half of them being members of the Baluch community.
According to a report by a group, Iran has witnessed more than 194 executions in 2023 alone, out of which only two were formally announced by authorities.
The majority of the executions were of individuals accused of drug offenses, as per the report.
Why was Habib Farajollah Chaab killed?
Iran Declares Habib Farajollah Chaab Dead for Leading Separatist Movement and Alleged Terrorist Operations in 2018
Iran has announced the death of Habib Farajollah Chaab, who had been sentenced to death for his alleged involvement in leading the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, a separatist group seeking an independent state in Khuzistan province.
Chaab was also accused of planning and executing numerous bombings and terrorist operations. The execution took place on Saturday, with Chaab being charged with “corruption on Earth.” The trial took place in 2022.
‘Executions carried out to spread fear’
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the head of IHR said, “The purpose of the executions is to create societal fear, not to fight crime.”
“The Islamic Republic has executed one person every six hours in the last ten days while the international community has remained silent. More than half of those executed were Baluch minorities and drug defendants from the most marginalized communities who are low-cost victims of the government’s killing machine,” he added.
Another report by IHR in collaboration with France’s Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) showed that executions in Iran rose by 75 percent in 2022 with at least 582 people hanged to “spread fear” in the society.
Only 71 of these executions were officially recorded last year, official reports show. The rest were “unannounced” and “secretly” carried out and were reported by family members and eyewitnesses.
Mahmood said, “The international reactions to the death sentences against protesters have made it difficult for the Islamic Republic to proceed with their executions.”