In a joint report released on Tuesday, Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty revealed that Iran executed at least 834 people in 2023, News About Nigeria reports.
This marks the highest number since 2015 and reflects a 43 percent increase from the previous year.
This surge in capital punishment represents only the second time in two decades that over 800 executions were recorded in a single year, following the peak of 972 executions in 2015.
The report accuses Iran of using the death penalty as a tool to instill fear in society, especially in the aftermath of protests triggered by the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.
According to IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the regime considers instilling terror in society as a way to hold onto power, with the death sentence serving as its primary tool.
Notably, nine men linked to attacks on security personnel during the protests in 2022 were executed, while drug-related incidents showed an increase.
Despite making up only 5% of the population, ethnic minorities, especially the Sunni Baluch of southeast Iran, were heavily represented among those put to death on drug-related charges, making up 20% of all executions in 2023.
The report noted that public hangings in Iran tripled from the previous year, with seven people hung in public spaces in 2023.
Additionally, 22 women were executed, marking the highest number in the past decade, with 15 of them hung on murder charges.
Human rights organisations have long raised concerns about the execution of women who kill abusive partners or relatives.
Furthermore, the report reveals that only 15 percent of the recorded executions in 2023 were announced by official Iranian media.
