More than 30 nations, including France, the United Kingdom and Canada, on Wednesday condemned Iran’s use of capital punishment, saying in a joint statement the Islamic republic was executing protesters to “silence dissent”.
“The use of capital punishment to silence dissent, intimidate communities, and punish individuals exercising their human rights can never be justified,” the statement said.
Since March 19, at least 56 people have been executed on national security-related charges, including 27 people in cases linked to the protests, according to the UN. More than 100 others are at risk of being put to death on similar charges, Turk said.
After the initial 26 countries and the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, “other countries joined this declaration” bringing the number of signatories up to 32, the French foreign ministry told AFP. Earlier in August UN rights chief Volker Turk said the death penalty was being used by Tehran to “instil fear”. “Seven months after the mass atrocities committed against the Iranian people, who rose up to demand justice and dignity, the regime continues to shed blood by carrying out a growing number of executions,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in an X post with the statement.
The statement joins growing alarm from the United Nations and rights groups over a surge in executions in recent months, after Iran was rocked by nationwide anti-government protests earlier in the year and the start of the Middle East war in February.
