Unidentified People are Taken to the Gallows

The death sentences of 11 individuals labeled “drug smugglers” by officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran were executed en-masse on Thursday at Shiraz’s Adelabad prison after the sentences were approved by the attorney general and the head of the country’s judiciary. At least 20 other individuals have been executed in prisons around the country on similar charges in the last month.

These executions come just a few days after the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on Social, Humanitarian Cultural Affairs passed a resolution over Iran’s human rights record. The resolution strongly criticizes the Islamic Republic of Iran for practicing flogging, amputation, and a dramatic increase in executions.

On average, there were two executions per day during 2011 in Iran, which makes it the country with the highest number of executions per capita after China.

14 Executions in Four Days

According to a report by the News Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Vahed Markazi Khabar) the death sentences of 11 individuals were passed in the revolutionary courts of Shiraz, Abadeh, Darab and Neyriz and were executed on the orders of the public prosecutor and revolutionary prosecutor of Shiraz in the city’s Adelabad prison. The report did not mention any details of the accusations against the individuals or provide the names of those executed.

This is not the first time that such executions have taken place. In recent years many individuals have been executed on charges of being “drug smugglers” while no names or any details about them were provided, something that has been strongly protested and criticized by human rights activists.

According to Islamic law in Iran, persons sentenced on charges of drug smugglers, armed robbers and renouncing Islam are punishable by death.

According to the News Center, security and law enforcement forces in the province of Fars annually round up about 60 tons of smuggled drugs which come into the country through Afghanistan. Just three days before the execution of the eleven individuals, three other individuals were hanged on similar charges in the central prison of Sari.

According to ISNA student news agency which quoted the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Sari, “These individuals were involved in the distribution of drugs despite having been arrested repeatedly and being imprisoned.”

The identity of these individuals too has not been publicly released.

According to Amnesty International, Iran with a population of 70 million has the highest number of executions after China. Many organizations, governments and political-social personalities in recent years have expressed their concern about the rise in the number of executions in Iran. Iran’s officials persistently deny these criticisms and contend that Islamic law is being implemented in the country.