Iran’s execution spree continues with eight more prisoners hanged
The Iranian government executed at least eight more prisoners early Monday morning, according to reports from human rights groups, with hundreds already hanged in 2024.
The Iranian government executed at least eight more prisoners early Monday morning, according to reports from human rights groups, with hundreds already hanged in 2024.
This latest round of executions, which took place in Yazd and Shiraz prisons, is part of a broader trend that has seen the number of state-sanctioned killings skyrocket in 2023 and 2024, drawing international condemnation and sparking renewed calls for an end to the death penalty in Iran.
The systematic execution of prisoners has become a routine practice, drawing condemnation from international human rights organizations. As the Iranian government intensifies its crackdown on dissent, political prisoners in the women's ward of Evin Prison have vowed to continue their fight against the death penalty, despite the brutal pressures they face.
Haalvash, a website dedicated to Baluch community news, reported that five individuals were executed in Yazd Prison. These included three Baluch citizens and two Afghan nationals, all condemned on charges related to drugs or murder. The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights organization confirmed that three more people were executed in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz too.
Amnesty International says 853 people were executed in Iran in 2023, marking the highest number of executions in the country in the last eight years. This figure represents a 48% increase from 2022 and a 172% spike from 2021. Iran's Islamic government executed 345 people this year, until August 9. The only time when there were fewer execution was during election periods in March and June.
This wave of executions is part of a broader strategy by the Iranian government to instill fear and suppress any form of resistance. Since the nationwide protests in 2022, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality-police custody, Iran has weaponized the death penalty as a means of crushing dissent and tightening its authoritarian grip on the nation.
Meanwhile, Maryam Yahyavi, a political prisoner in Evin Prison, confirmed reports of a recent raid by guards on women protesting death sentences. In a letter published Sunday, Yahyavi described the violent crackdown: "They gathered all their strength in their arms and struck us down."
The women had gathered as part of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign, protesting the execution of Reza Rasaei, a 34-year-old Iranian arrested during the 2022 anti-government protests in Kermanshah. Rasaei was executed earlier this month, and those who dared to protest his death faced repercussions, including beatings and a ban on visits and phone calls.
Despite the measures, the resolve of political prisoners remains unshaken. Yahyavi stressed that their opposition to the death penalty would continue unabated.
Another political prisoner, Golrokh Iraee, also emphasized in a letter published Monday that all citizens, regardless of their political stance, must condemn and actively oppose the death penalty.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, recently expressed deep concern over the ongoing executions in Iran.
Speaking at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran and Hezbollah, signaling Israel's readiness to defend itself against any threats from these adversaries.
"We are determined to defend ourselves, and we are also determined to extract a very heavy price from any enemy that dares to attack us, from any theater," Netanyahu stated.
He also underscored Israel’s commitment to its security principles, which he said will remain non-negotiable despite the complex nature of the peace talks. “We are conducting very complex negotiations,” Netanyahu said. “But I want to emphasize: We are conducting negotiations, and not give-and-give. There are areas where we can show flexibility, and there are areas where we can’t show flexibility — and we are standing firm on them. We know quite well how to distinguish between the two.”
These comments come as Israel continues to engage in indirect negotiations with Hamas, mediated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt. The talks, held in Doha over the past week, are aimed at securing the release of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 attacks that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis. However, significant gaps remain between the two sides, particularly on the key issues of the Philadelphi Corridor, the Rafah Crossing, and the deployment of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza if an agreement is reached.
Netanyahu’s firm stance is consistent with the outline laid out by the White House in May, which has since been the basis for Israel’s negotiating position. Central to these principles is Israel's demand for control over critical border areas to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza and ensure its long-term security. This demand has been a major sticking point in the talks, with Hamas refusing to agree to any arrangement that would allow Israeli forces to remain in Gaza after a potential ceasefire.
Despite the complexities of the negotiations, there has been some optimism among mediators. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in Israel on Sunday for another round of talks, is expected to push for progress, especially since Joe Biden urgently needs the ceasefire as a legacy of his presidency.
However, Hamas has already cast doubt on the prospects of a breakthrough. In a statement released shortly after Blinken's arrival, the militant group accused Netanyahu of setting new conditions to deliberately sabotage the negotiations. “We hold Netanyahu fully responsible for thwarting the mediators’ efforts and obstructing an agreement,” Hamas declared.
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon on Sunday evening, in response to an attack on the Upper Galilee. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have also reported ongoing rocket fire from Lebanon into northern Israel, further escalating the conflict with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group allied with Hamas.
The broader regional implications of the conflict are becoming increasingly apparent. Iran, which has been a key supporter of both Hamas and Hezbollah, has threatened retaliation following the assassination of senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures in Tehran and Beirut, which it attributes to Israel. This escalation comes at a time when the international community is growing increasingly concerned about the potential for the conflict to spill over into a broader regional war.
Iran has reportedly postponed its retaliatory strike on Israel to avoid derailing the ceasefire talks aimed at ending the Gaza war. However, the Islamic Republic has tried to avoid expressing public support for the negotiations and even downplayed the US-led mediation efforts arguing that Washington cannot be an “impartial” mediator as it backs Israel.
Iranian authorities are also skeptical about the support expressed by some Western countries for the people of Israel. A report by the Tehran Times, an Iranian newspaper fully owned and controlled by the government, even claimed that France, Germany, and Britain are considering recognizing Palestine as a state, contingent on significant concessions from Iran, including its recognition of Israel and a halt to support for resistance groups in the region.
“The initiative proposed by Paris and endorsed by London and Berlin aims to offer additional protections for Israel but does not establish any conditions to safeguard Palestinians against Israel's apartheid policies in the occupied territories, its massacres in Gaza, the abuse of Palestinian prisoners, or the growing number of illegal settlements in the West Bank,” the report added.
If the initiative is implemented, wrote the Tehran Times, the European trio will join Norway, Ireland, and Spain, who earlier this year became the latest group of European countries to recognize Palestine as a state.
