Iranian authorities executed 67 individuals in one month, raising the total number of executions to 246 since the beginning of 2024, according to human rights organization Hengaw. Over half of these executions involved ethnic minorities, intensifying concerns about systematic discrimination and the use of capital punishment as a tool of oppression.

Criticism of Iran’s judicial process often focuses on its lack of independence, transparency, and fairness, with prisoners frequently denied legal due process and sometimes convicted on fabricated charges. The United Nations and various human rights organizations have repeatedly called on Iran to halt executions.

Despite these appeals, Amnesty’s report revealed that Iran accounted for 74% of the 1,153 executions recorded globally in 2023.

Hengaw’s monthly report indicated that among the executed, 25 were Kurdish, 15 were Turkish, 5 were Baluch, and 3 were Afghan. The alarming rate of executions among the Baluch minority was highlighted by the human rights group Haalvsh, which reported that 171 Baluch citizens were executed in various prisons across Iran from March 2023 to March 2024.

These figures come on the heels of an Amnesty International report showing that Iran led a surge in recorded executions in 2023, with at least 853 people executed. Amnesty suggested that the actual number could be much higher, given these figures represent only the official count. The report also pointed out that while the Baluchi minority makes up about 5% of Iran’s population, they accounted for 20% of the executions in 2023.

Among those executed in May was Ramin Saadat, a juvenile offender, raising significant concerns about Iran’s compliance with international treaties it has ratified, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Despite commitments to protecting the rights of minors, the continued execution of juvenile offenders highlights a clear disregard for these obligations.

Additionally, at least four women were among those executed last month: Fariba Mohammadzahi in Kerman prison, Razieh in Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad, Parveen Mousavi in Urmia prison, and Fateme Abdullahpour in Neishabur prison.

At least two individuals were executed for their religious beliefs.