International coalition condemns Iran's executions of protesters

More than 25 nations, including France, the United Kingdom, and Canada, have issued a joint statement condemning Iran's use of capital punishment against protesters. The countries, along with the European Union's top diplomat, "condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing executions of protesters and use of the death penalty" by Iran.

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The use of capital punishment to silence dissent, intimidate communities, and punish individuals exercising their human rights can never be justified.

The statement asserted that "The use of capital punishment to silence dissent, intimidate communities, and punish individuals exercising their human rights can never be justified." It further emphasized that "The people of Iran must be free to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear." Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, and other European nations joined the call for Iran to "immediately end the use of the death penalty and release all those arbitrarily detained."

This condemnation aligns with growing alarm from the United Nations and human rights groups regarding a significant increase in executions in Iran. The UN rights chief, Volker Turk, stated that Tehran is using the death penalty to "instill fear." Since March 19, at least 56 people have been executed on national security-related charges, with 27 of those cases linked to the protests. More than 100 additional individuals are at risk of facing the death penalty on similar charges. The UN and rights groups have expressed concerns about the lack of fair trials and the prevalence of forced confessions.

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The people of Iran must be free to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear.

Nationwide anti-government protests, initially sparked by the high cost of living, erupted in Iran late last year. Iranian authorities reported over 3,000 deaths, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel. However, rights groups based abroad have recorded a substantially higher death toll, alleging that security forces fired on demonstrators. The United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran weeks later, triggering the Middle East war, after which arrests and executions have multiplied. According to Amnesty International, Iran executed over 2,150 people last year, making it the world's most prolific executioner after China.

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The death penalty is being used by Tehran to 'instill fear'.