Since 1990, Iran has executed more juvenile offenders than any other country in the world, and
the number is more than double the total number of juvenile offenders executed by countries
which constitute the next nine countries that continue to execute minors.10 According to data
collected by Iran Human Rights (IHR) and international human rights organisations, the Islamic
Republic is responsible for more than 70% of all executions of juvenile offenders in the last 30
years. IHR’s statistics also show that at least 63 juvenile offenders have been executed in Iran
over the past 10 years, with at least four executed in both 2019 and 2020 respectively. 11Under
the IPC, judges have discretion to grant alternative punishment to minors and individuals who
committed crimes while under 18 years of age, but Iran’s judges have continued to sentence
juveniles and juvenile offenders to death.12 Iran also executes people who are under the age of
18.
C. Enforce a moratorium on death penalty
There is currently no standing moratorium on death penalty in Iran. Most of the crimes that are
punishable by death in Iranian law would not be considered “most serious” under international
law. Iranian law allows the issuance of death sentences for various crimes. There are three types
of death penalty punishments in Iranian law. Qisas execution, hud`ud execution and tazir
execution. Currently the following crimes are punishable by death: intentional murder (qisas)13;
sex offenses including adultery with married persons, rape, incest and sodomy (hudud)14; crimes
against religion and society, including moharebeh, corruption, apostasy, and hypocrisy (hudud);
repeating offenses for specific crimes including drinking alcohol, adultery with unmarried
(hudud); and some drugs related offences, military espionage, disruption of the economic
system, insulting the prophet Mohammad (tazir).
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. Iran does not
have any administrative processes or independent human rights monitoring mechanisms in place
10
Amnesty International, “Executions of Juveniles Since 1990 as of November 2019” accessed April 25, 2020,
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ACT5002332019ENGLISH.pdf
11
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/4648/
12
Iran Human Rights and ECPM, Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran 2019, 16.
13
The subject of "Qisas" is mentioned in the third book of the Islamic Penal Code, which covers Articles 289 to 537, Articles 301
to 311 (Chapter 3 in Part I, Book III), and Articles 381 to 385 (Chapter II in Book III).
14
The subject of "Hudud" is mentioned in the second book of the Islamic Penal Code, which covers Articles 217 to 288. Among
the crimes under this "title" that could lead to the death penalty are:
Adultery (Chapter 1, Section 1 of the Second Book), Articles 224 and 225.
Sodomy (Chapter 2, Part 1 of the Second Book), Articles 234 and 236.
Insult to the Prophets (Chapter 5, Section 1, Book 2), Article 262.
Theft for the fourth time (Chapter 7, Part 1 of the second book), Article 278.
Moharebeh (War against God) (Chapter 8, Part 1 of the Second Book), Article 282.
Corruption on Earth (Chapter 9, Section 1 of the Second Book), Articles 286 and 287.
3