Many of the executed were women, children, and migrants.
By World News Israel Staff
Iran executed 105 people in the first three months of 2022, a rising trend that is of “serious concern,” a report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented Tuesday said.
“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the increase of executions, including for drug-related offences,” Nada Al-Nashif, UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, tole the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Over the past two years, 570 people were executed, including women, children, and people from minority groups, often on charges that do not amount to “most serious crimes” and that are incompatible with fair trial standards, the report said.
Nashif decried the recent execution of two minors and said that 85 more were on death row.
She also denounced the regime for “excessive force” in nationwide protests against the government.
“Patterns of arbitrary deprivation of life due to excessive force used by the authorities against border couriers, peaceful protesters, and those in detention, continued with impunity,” Nashif said. “The scale of deaths in detention, both as a result of violence and ill-treatment by officials and due to the lack of timely access to medical care is of serious concern.”
Fifty-five individuals – teachers, lawyers, rights defenders, artists and academics – were arrested during protests, many of whom are facing national security charges, Nashif said.
Iran slammed the report as “biased by default.”
“Reducing the lofty code of human rights into a petty political tool is appalling and disgraceful,” representative Mehdi Ali Abadi told the council.