The United Nations (UN) has condemned the executions of a 17-year-old boy and a 22-year-old man in Iran and called on Tehran to stop the death penalty.
In a statement, on Tuesday, November 28, Elizabeth Throssell, spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said, “The execution of Hamid Reza Azari, is the first reported execution of an alleged child offender in Iran this year.”
The spokeswoman reminded Iran of its commitment, under international agreements, to prohibit death sentences and their implementation for crimes committed by individuals below the age of 18.
Throssell also condemned “The execution on the same day of 22-year-old Milad Zahra Vand, the eighth person executed as part of the September 2022 protests.”
“Available information indicates that his trial lacked the basic requirements for due process under international human rights law. There are also troubling reports that Zohrevand’s parents were arrested following his execution.”
Throssell continued by saying, that Iran is one of the countries with high death penalty rates, particularly for drug-related offenses, and minorities are disproportionately sentenced to death.
She urged the Iranian Government to halt the death penalty and establish a moratorium, limiting it to the most severe crimes.
“We also call on the government to stop using criminal procedures to punish political activists and others for exercising their rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly,” she added.
On Saturday, November 25, Iranian authorities executed Azari and 22-year-old Milad Zahra Vand, both charged with murder in separate incidents.
Iran has seen a surge in executions this year, causing widespread condemnation due to rushed judgments, sham trials, and forced confessions.
Iran has executed over 684 people this year, primarily on drug-related and murder charges, according to IHR.
