Iran is once again criticized for its failure to respect human rights. The United Nations on Tuesday deplored the executions on Friday of a 17-year-old man and a 22-year-old man in the country and urged Tehran to immediately stop applying the death penalty.
“The execution of Hamidreza Azari, who was accused of murder, is the first reported execution of a suspected child offender in Iran this year,” said Elizabeth Throssell, spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Office. . She reminded Tehran of its obligation, under international conventions, to prohibit death sentences and their application for crimes committed by people under the age of 18.
Eight executions linked to the 2022 protests
“We are also concerned by the execution, on the same day, of Milad Zohrevand, 22, the eighth person executed in connection with the September 2022 protests,” Elizabeth Throssell added in a statement.
“Available information indicates that his trial failed to meet basic requirements of due process under international human rights law. Disturbing reports also indicate that Zohrevand’s parents were arrested after his execution. “We deplore these executions,” she insisted.
More than 600 people executed since the start of the year
Iran has been shaken by a protest movement since the death on September 16, 2022 of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, three days after her arrest. The moral police accused him of having violated the strict dress code requiring women, in particular, to wear the veil in the Islamic Republic. Authorities have launched a sweeping crackdown to quell protests that have left hundreds dead and thousands arrested, according to human rights groups.
According to Elizabeth Throssell, Iran is one of the countries with the highest number of death sentences, particularly for drug-related offenses, and where minorities are disproportionately sentenced to death. The spokesperson therefore urged Iran to immediately stop applying the death penalty and to establish a moratorium on its application.
More than 600 people have been executed in Iran since the start of the year, the highest annual figure in eight years with two months remaining before the end of the year, according to Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway.