Amnesty International accuses Iran of turning its prisons into 'killing fields'

Amnesty International announced on Thursday that Iran has turned its prisons into "killing fields," citing the execution of at least 853 people in the Islamic Republic in 2023, more than half of them on drug-related charges.

The organization, headquartered in London, called for strong international action to halt the increasing executions, warning that "thousands" are at risk of hanging in the coming years.

It added that Iranian authorities "persisted with their state-sanctioned killing spree, which has turned prisons into killing fields."

The organization pointed out that the number of executions in 2023 is the highest since 2015, representing a 48 percent increase from 2022 and a 172 percent increase from 2021, with 56 percent of the executions related to drug charges.

Two non-governmental organizations, Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty, published a report last month giving a slightly lower figure of 834 people executed in 2023.

The increase in executions followed protests that erupted in Iran in September 2022, where Iranian authorities intensified their use of the death penalty as a tool to suppress opposition.

The organization stated that the Iranian authorities escalated the death penalty "as a tool of oppression to create a pervasive sense of fear across the country, exert control over the population, and tighten their grip on power."

Iran witnessed months-long protests known for the "Woman Life Freedom" uprising, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini (22 years old) three days after her arrest by morality police in Tehran for not complying with the strict dress rules in the Islamic Republic.

According to non-governmental organizations, nine people were executed in cases related to the protests.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International, warned that authorities are using executions to spread fear and prevent further protests.

AFP