evidence to suggest that these complaints are properly analyzed and adjudicated. Iran does not
have any administrative processes or independent human rights monitoring mechanisms in place
that ensure the prohibition of capital punishment.
In November 2017 an amendment made to the law on drug trafficking entered into force,
replacing the mandatory death penalty with a prison term of up to 30 years for non-violent drugrelated offences and increased the quantity of drugs required for a death sentence to be imposed.
However, mandatory death sentences for numerous drug-related offences were retained and
transformed a number of crimes into capital crimes for first-time offenders in specific
circumstances. 8 In 2019, reportedly 30 individuals were executed on drug-related charges.9 The
Human Rights Committee has consistently underscored that drug-related offences do not meet
the threshold of “most serious crimes” and that the death penalty should not be applied to them.10
Reports regularly document cases of violations of due process of individuals sentenced to the
death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Despite such reports, the Government regularly
carries the executions.
Between January 2015 and December 2018, the Islamic Republic of Iran reportedly executed at
least 2,303 people.11 Reports received by OHCHR indicated a decrease in the number of
executions between 2017 and 2018 (437 in 2017 compared to 207 in 2018).12 On the other hand,
Iran Human Rights and ECPM reported at least 273 executions in 2018, 273 in 2019 and 280 in
2020. 13 14 15 16 17
The Islamic Republic of Iran has continued to implement death penalties throughout 2020,18
notably against protesters, dissidents and members of minority groups,19 most recently with the
execution of the journalist Ruhollah Zam on December 12, 2020, in spite of alleged violations of
due process.20 Although there are no readily official and available data on the number of
detainees in death row in Iran, a number of NGOs reported a significant number of individuals
8
Drug trafficking law, articles 8 and 45.
ECPM, Iran Human Rights, https://www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-iran-2020-gb-070420-WEB.pdf
10
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.
11
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1305732019ENGLISH.PDF
12
Report of the 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
13
ECPM, Iran Human Rights, https://www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-iran-2020-gb-070420-WEB.pdf
14
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/death-penalty-in-2019-facts-and-figures/
15
See more: Abdorrahman Boroumand Center https://www.iranrights.org/projects/omidmap
16
See more: Human Rights Activists in Iran https://www.en-hrana.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Annual-Report-ofExecutions-2019.pdf
17
https://iranhr.net/media/files/Rapport_iran_2021-gb-290321-BD.pdf
18
See for instance: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, https://iranhrdc.org/ihrdc-chart-of-executions-by-the-islamicrepublic-of-iran-2020/
19
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/07/iran-two-kurds-executed-amid-increasing-use-ofdeath-penalty-as-weapon-of-repression/
20
OHCHR News, https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26603&LangID=E
9
2