On Sunday, December 15, Iranian authorities carried out the executions of 11 prisoners in the central prisons of Yazd and Zahedan, according to human rights organizations, Iran News Update reported. The group included nine Baluch Arab prisoners, one Kurdish prisoner, and one woman, all convicted on charges ranging from drug-related offenses to murder.
The executions proceeded despite persistent warnings from human rights advocates, underscoring ongoing concerns about due process and minority rights in Iran.
International organizations and human rights experts have long called for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran, particularly for drug-related offenses. They argue that such punishments are both ineffective as a deterrent and fundamentally inhumane. Despite these appeals, executions targeting vulnerable communities persist, drawing global condemnation and raising urgent questions about justice and human rights in the country.
Last October, the International Bar Association condemned Iran’s record, calling it the world’s worst executioner.
#FreeIran2024#IranRevolution : 5 Women Executed in Iran in the First Half of December
The execution rate for women has significantly increased under the clerical regime’s president, Massoud Pezeshkian.#نه_به_اعدام #کانونهای_شورشی#زن_مقاومت_آزادی#Iran#No2ShahNo2Mullahs… pic.twitter.com/OkIbXVGb4m— sheer_iran (@sheriran95) December 16, 2024
Iran has seen a sharp rise in executions this year, with more than 100 carried out in August alone, according to Iran Human Rights, a non-governmental organization monitoring the country’s use of capital punishment. This surge brought the total number of executions in the first eight months of the year to 418—a marked increase from the same period in 2023.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran, an exiled opposition group based in France and Albania, reports that 214 executions have occurred since President Masoud Pezeshkian assumed office in late July. Human rights advocates warn that, if the current pace continues, Iran risks becoming the world’s leading executioner.
In August, authorities executed 46 individuals for drug-related offenses, 50 for murder, three for rape, and one on national security charges. Human Rights Watch, based in New York, reported a particularly grim milestone when 29 executions were recorded in a single day. The country also conducted its first public execution of the year, hanging 21-year-old Amirreza Ajam Akrami in the central city of Shahrud.
Among those executed last Sunday in Iran were Mohammad Ali Kharkouhi, 36, and Reza Kharkouhi, 43, along with three members of the Totazehi family: Abdol Baset, Abdol Nasser, and Nematollah Totazehi. Arrested years ago, on drug-related charges, many of the men reportedly had large families dependent on them. Reza Kharkouhi, according to local sources, suffered severe medical neglect while in prison, leaving him physically disabled and reliant on a wheelchair in his final years.
In Zahedan prison, authorities also hanged four Baluch prisoners: Mohammad Wazir Rudini, 45; Alireza Golebacheh, 37; Elias Tardast, 22; and Yaqoub Barahui Moghadam. Like those executed in Yazd, they were convicted on drug-related charges. Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Iran’s judicial system, citing concerns over fair trials and the disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities.
The Baluch community, comprising just 5-6% of Iran’s population, continues to face a disproportionate share of executions, according to human rights organizations. Many of those put to death come from marginalized and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, often struggling to support large families under harsh socio-economic conditions.
The recent surge in executions in Iran has ignited widespread protests both domestically and internationally. A prominent form of resistance is the “No Execution Tuesdays” campaign, a hunger strike movement initiated by political prisoners in January 2024. As of December 10, the campaign had reached its 46th week, extending across 25 prisons throughout the country.
Participants in the movement seek to draw attention to Iran’s escalating use of the death penalty and pressure authorities to halt executions. The campaign has garnered support from human rights advocates and opposition groups, amplifying global calls for an end to capital punishment in the country.
