For example, Mr. Alireza Molla-Soltani was born in December 1993 was sentenced to qisas
(retribution-in-kind) for murder. He was 17 years old when he was publicly executed on 21
September 2011. Following his execution, Ali Rezvanmanesh, the Judiciary’s representative
told news reporters that: “According to Sharia, Alireza was not a minor, since the lunar calendar
is used in Sharia and the years are shorter.” 23
In November 2017, the law on drug trafficking was amended24 to replace the mandatory death
penalty with a prison term of up to 30 years for non-violent drug-related offences and increase
the quantity of drugs required for a death sentence to be imposed. However, mandatory death
sentences for numerous drug-related offences were retained and a number of crimes were
transformed into capital crimes for first-time offenders in specific circumstances. 25 This
amendment represents an improvement in the legal framework as it has reduced the number of
executions for crimes not amounting to the “most serious crime”, but it remains insufficient as it
only reduces and does not eliminate the number of drug convictions once can receive the death
penalty for. 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.26
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 analyzed and adjudicated. The Islamic
Republic of Iran does not have any administrative processes or independent human rights
monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure the prohibition of capital punishment. Officials tasked
with conducting inspections of detention centers, such as prison warders and prosecutors, are all
considered part of the judicial structure, which could result in biased investigations into cases of
mistreatment and arbitrary deprivation of life in detention facilities.27
Between 2000 and mid-2017, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran has
documented around 8,200 executions.28 Between January 2015 and December 2018, the Islamic
Republic of Iran reportedly executed at least 2,303 people29. Reports received by OHCHR
indicate a decrease in the number of executions between 2017 and 2018 (437 in 2017 compared
to 207 in 2018 for the same period).30 On the other hand, Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort
23
Iran Human Rights Annual Report on the Death Penalty 2011, https://iranhr.net/en/reports/9/
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-death-penalty-quietly-abolished-drug-crimes/28853642.html
25
Drug trafficking law, arts. 8 and 45
26
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.
27
HRANA: https://www.en-hrana.org/unusual-inspection-ward-3-rajai-shahr-prison
28
Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran https://iranhr.net/media/files/Rapport_iran_2019-GB-BD.pdf
29
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1305732019ENGLISH.PDF
30
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
24
4