At least 31 Iranian girls had been executed in 2024, in accordance with a January 6 report revealed by the Oslo-based Iranian human rights group (IHRNGO).
The report, entitled “Iranian Women and the Death Penalty: A Gender Perspective,” mentioned it was amongst a minimum of 241 girls executed between 2010 and 2024.
The Islamic Republic is now the world’s most prolific executioner of youngsters, men and women per capita. According to Ihrngo, the variety of executions in Iran has been growing yearly since 2021. At least 900 individuals had been executed in 2024.
The United Nations condemned the sharp rise in executions in a January 7 assertion, calling on Iran to place a suspension on the usage of the dying penalty to abolish the apply. The United Nations opposes the usage of the dying penalty in all states.
The United Nations says that Iran was executed greater than 900 individuals in 2024.
“The rising variety of individuals uncovered to the dying penalty in Iran in the identical interval final 12 months is as soon as once more in the best way,” the UN Human Rights Commissioner mentioned in an announcement. “It is now that Iran will create this everlasting and pervasive tide of execution.”
The report mentioned a minimum of 114 girls had been executed after they had been convicted of homicide. Over 70% of those girls had been usually accused of killing their husbands or companions after they engaged in intimate companion violence (IPV) towards males. Four girls had been confirmed to have psychological well being, however the 4 discovered themselves killed their companions in self-defense to stop them from being raped themselves.
The eight girls had been little one brides once they had been allegedly dedicated homicide. Iranian ladies may very well be compelled to marry early as early because the age of 9, below elements of the Sharia regulation now in pressure. In the Islamic Republic there isn’t a authorized minimal age for marriage. Successive governments have pledged to evaluation legal guidelines on this space below strain from the United Nations, however little has been completed by governments to dam little one marriages throughout the nation.
The United Nations High Commissioner has repeatedly referred to as on the Iranian authorities to ban the wedding of youngsters below the age of 18 in all circumstances.
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Before the 1979 revolution, Iran was attempting to develop and shield the rights of women and girls. The authorities has enacted a number of progressive legal guidelines, together with the Family Protection Act of 1967. This awarded the rights to girls, with 15 ladies and 18 younger males setting the minimal age for marriage. This regulation was abolished after the revolution.
Additionally, the report mentioned of a minimum of 241 girls executed within the final 14 years, a minimum of 4 have been executed for security-related accusations, together with warfare towards God and corruption on earth. Three girls had been accused of spying, and a minimum of two had been political prisoners.
One of the Sunni Kurdish girls, Nasim Namaj, was sentenced to dying on suspicion of Israeli spying and was executed on December 28, 2023 at Urmia Central Prison.
Zahra Esmaili reportedly had already died when she was hanged in 2021 and was charged with the homicide of her husband, a senior official at Intelligence Bureau. Human rights teams mentioned Esmairi was a sufferer of home violence and her husband regularly defeated her. Esmairi reportedly died of a coronary heart assault after seeing 16 males cling earlier than her.
Adiba Mirza Soleiman Karimi, an Iranian and Jewish political prisoner who lived within the United States, was hanged in 2011 along with her husband Valjan Petrosian. Karimi started visiting Iran a number of years earlier than her arrest. It was unclear why her household mentioned it.
Shirin Alam Hooli, a Kurdish political prisoner, was sentenced to dying in 2010 in cooperation with the Kurdish opposition group Pjak.
The report identifies the second largest motive for the dying penalty towards girls as for drug-related crimes, and 107 girls had been executed.
“Before the 2017 anti-drug regulation amendments, it was associated to drug-related girls, however the most typical executions of girls in Iran,” the report mentioned. “The revision led to 3 years (2018-2020) the place girls weren’t recorded till they had been really turned again in 2021. The variety of girls executed for drug-related crimes is now 9 years previous. It’s tall and able to improve much more.”
After the 2022 nationwide protests had been sparked by the dying of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, the girl has turn out to be more and more susceptible to arrests and dying penalties. Amini was arrested for not carrying a hijab in accordance with the regulation and died of her accidents whereas in police custody.