offences do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes” and that the death penalty should not
be applied to them.8
Despite the existence of several means and mechanisms that accept complaints regarding the
violation of rights in Iran, such as the Judge’s Disciplinary Court, the Article 90 Parliamentary
Commission and, in general, any appeals courts including the Supreme Court, there is little
evidence to suggest that these complaints are properly investigated and adjudicated. Iran does
not have any administrative processes or independent human rights monitoring mechanisms in
place that ensure the prohibition of capital punishment.
Between January 2015 and December 2018, the Islamic Republic of Iran reportedly executed at
least 2,303 people.9 Reports received by OHCHR indicated a decrease in the number of
executions between 2017 and 2018 (437 in 2017 compared to 207 in 2018 for the same period).
10
On the other hand, World Coalition against the Death Penalty (ECPM) and Iran Human Rights
reported at least 280 executions in 2019, against 273 in 2018.11 12 13 14
While the amendment of the law on drug trafficking reduced the number of offences punishable
by the death penalty, the Islamic Republic of Iran still sentence a wide range of crimes with the
capital punishment. In 2019, Iran was the second country with the highest number of reported
executions, behind China.15 16 17 18
B. Public executions should be avoided
Public executions are still practiced in the Islamic Republic of Iran and every year a number of
public executions are recorded. In 2018, 13 individuals were reportedly executed in public
spaces in Iran.19 According to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the
8
CCPR/C/PAK/CO/1, para. 17; CCPR/C/THA/CO/2, para. 17; CCPR/C/KWT/CO/3, para. 22; A/71/372, para. 48; and Human
Rights Committee, general comment No. 36.
9
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1305732019ENGLISH.PDF
10
Report of the UN Secretary General on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, February 2019,
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G19/028/77/PDF/G1902877.pdf?OpenElement
11
ECPM, Iran Human Rights, https://www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-iran-2020-gb-070420-WEB.pdf
12
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/death-penalty-in-2019-facts-and-figures/
13
See more: Abdorrahman Boroumand Center https://www.iranrights.org/projects/omidmap
14
See more: Human Rights Activists in Iran https://www.en-hrana.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Annual-Report-ofExecutions-2019.pdf
15
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/death-penalty-in-2019-facts-and-figures/
16
See more: ECPM, Iran Human Rights https://iranhr.net/media/files/Rapport_iran_2019-GB-BD.pdf
17
See more: Abdorrahman Boroumand Center https://www.iranrights.org/projects/omidmap
18
See more: Human Rights Activists in Iran https://www.en-hrana.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Annual-Report-ofExecutions-2019.pdf
19
ECPM, Iran Human Rights https://www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-iran-2020-gb-070420-WEB.pdf
2