Iran’s 2024 Executions Surge, Sparking International Outrage

In 2024, Iran executed at least 901 people, marking a nine-year high and drawing widespread condemnation from the international community. This includes the execution of 31 women, many of whom were convicted of killing abusive husbands or acting in self-defense against domestic violence. The increase in executions has raised alarm at the United Nations.

A report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, revealed that around 40 of these executions occurred in the final week of December. Turk expressed deep concern over the rising number of executions, which climbed from 853 in 2023, urging Iran to halt this "ever-swelling tide" of death penalties.

According to UN spokeswoman Liz Throssell, the executions of women in Iran reached their highest in at least 15 years. A significant portion of the women executed were victims of domestic violence, forced marriage, or child marriage. One woman executed for murder reportedly killed her husband to prevent him from raping her daughter.

The surge in executions is linked to ongoing political unrest in the country. Protests erupted across Iran in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested for allegedly violating the hijab law. During the protests, many women and girls burned their headscarves in defiance of the mandatory dress code. The government's brutal crackdown resulted in the deaths of hundreds of protesters, and many dissidents have since been executed.

Amid these developments, Iran has also been involved in a diplomatic standoff with Italy. Tehran has summoned the Italian ambassador following the arrest of Mohammad Abedini, who is wanted by the U.S. for his alleged involvement in a deadly drone attack. Meanwhile, Italy has protested the detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was arrested in Tehran for what authorities termed "violating the laws of the Islamic republic." The U.S. and European nations have condemned Iran's treatment of foreign nationals, calling it "hostage diplomacy."