Paris: More than 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Canada, have condemned Iran’s continued use of the death penalty, particularly against people accused of involvement in anti-government protests.
A joint statement backed by 32 countries and the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas denounced what the signatories described as the use of executions to suppress dissent and intimidate communities. The countries called on Iran to immediately stop capital punishment and release people they said had been arbitrarily detained.
The statement stressed that people in Iran should be able to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of facing severe punishment.
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Germany and several other European countries were among the nations supporting the declaration. The move comes amid mounting international concern over a sharp increase in executions in Iran following nationwide protests and the escalation of the regional conflict.
The United Nations has also warned about the growing use of the death penalty. UN rights chief Volker Turk previously said executions were being used to create fear among the population.
According to UN figures, at least 56 people have been executed since March 19 on national security related charges, including 27 cases connected to the protests. More than 100 others are reportedly at risk of execution on similar charges.
Human rights organisations and UN officials have raised concerns over alleged unfair trials and the use of forced confessions in cases involving protesters and people accused of national security offences.
Iran experienced widespread anti-government demonstrations after protests that initially began over economic difficulties in December last year. Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest and blamed the violence on alleged terrorist activity backed by foreign powers. Rights organisations outside Iran reported significantly higher casualty figures and accused security forces of using lethal force against demonstrators.
International concern has intensified further since the outbreak of the latest Middle East conflict, with arrests and executions increasing in cases linked to both the unrest and the conflict.
Iran executed more than 2,150 people last year, according to Amnesty International, placing it among the countries with the highest number of executions globally.
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