Report Death Penalty: Iran executes almost 700 people in six months

Breitbart

Amnesty International’s latest report on Iran states the regime executed 694 people between January 1 and July 15. This means the country averages at least three executions a day.

“Iran’s staggering execution toll for the first half of this year paints a sinister picture of the machinery of the state carrying out premeditated, judicially-sanctioned killings on a mass scale,” explained Said Boumedouha, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme. “If Iran’s authorities maintain this horrifying execution rate we are likely to see more than 1,000 state-sanctioned deaths by the year’s end.”

The organization rallies against the death penalty, but they keep a very close eye on Iran’s executions. Amnesty claims the death sentences “are invariably imposed by courts that are completely lacking in independence and impartiality.” These suspects do not receive fair trials or access to proper defense attorneys. They are also shocked that some offenses are criminal within the regime, “let alone attract the death penalty.”

Courts found the majority of the executed guilty of drug offenses. A new law allows the death penalty for numerous drug charges, “including trafficking more than 5kg of narcotics derived from opium or more than 30g of heroin, morphine, cocaine or their chemical derivatives.” Amnesty found no evidence that a death penalty sentence lowers drug use or trafficking. In fact, despite the harsh new law, “methamphetamine production and abuse of hard drugs are skyrocketing.” Officials say at least 2.2 million Iranians are addicted to drugs. Only 1.3 million are in a rehabilitation program.

Iran hanged eleven prisoners a day before Amnesty released their report. Ten prisoners lost their lives at the Gohardasht Prison of Karaj, while another died at the Esfaham prison. The regime executed 65 people in one week during April.