Ahmad Shaheed: 2015 was the highest execution rate in Iran
Ahmad Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, announced in his eleventh report to the UN Human Rights Council that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran had the highest execution rate in the past ten years in 2015.
According to HRANA, the organ of the Human Rights Activists' Association in Iran, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran announced at the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council: "Human rights organizations tracking executions by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran estimate the number of executions in 2015 to be between 966 and 1,054, which is the highest rate in the past decade."
In his latest report, Mr. Ahmad Shaheed called the number of executions between April and June 2015 an "alarming rate of executions," and in other words, he said: "That means, on average, four executions took place every day during these three months."
Ahmad Shaheed's recommendations call on the Iranian government to "abolish the execution of juveniles," establish a legal deadline for review of death sentences that do not involve "very serious crimes" according to international standards, and ban "stoning and public executions."
Increasing pressure and repression of Baha'is, lack of organization for civil activists, lack of access for defendants to fair trials, confessions obtained under torture, keeping defendants in solitary confinement, disregard for the rights of minorities, etc. are among the issues emphasized in other sections of this 22-page report.
