Iranian authorities executed at least 31 women in 2024, according to a report by Iran Human Rights (IHR) published on Monday, January 6. This is the highest number since the non-governmental organization began recording the use of the death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2008.
This was warned by AFP.
“The execution of women in Iran reveals the brutal and inhumane nature of the death penalty and shows the extent to which gender discrimination and inequality are entrenched in the Iranian justice system,” said Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, director of IHR.
The IHR, which is based in Norway, recorded 241 women executed between 2010 and 2024, including 114 for murder and 107 for drug-related crimes. “Many of the women executed for murder were victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse, acting out of desperation,” IHR said.
The Islamic law of revenge practiced in Iran, known as qisas, states that a murder must be “paid for” by the loss of another life, unless the victim’s family forgives or accepts compensation.
This rule means that “the Iranian judicial system rarely considers the presence of domestic violence as a mitigating circumstance,” according to Iran Human Rights.
Human rights activists are generally concerned about the rising number of executions in Iran, suspecting that Islamic authorities are using the death penalty to instill fear in society, especially after the protests of 2022-2023.
Illustrative Photo by Peyvand Pezeshki : https://www.pexels.com/photo/ghazvin-grand-bazaar-27309612/
