UPDATE - UN right chief voices dismay over ‘frighteningly’ high number of executions in Iran

UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM UN EXPERTS; OTHER CHANGES

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The UN human rights chief on Tuesday expressed dismay over the "frighteningly" high number of executions in Iran so far this year, urging authorities to abolish the death sentence or cease all executions.

"On average so far this year, over 10 people are put to death each week in Iran, making it one of the world’s highest executors," Volker Turk said in a statement.

Since the start of this year, the statement said, at least 209 people have been executed, mostly for drug-related offenses, and a “disproportionately high number representing minorities.”

At least 45 people, including 22 from the Baluch minority, were executed in the last 14 days alone, it said, adding that due to “lack of Government transparency,” the actual figure is likely to be higher.

"At this rate, Iran is worryingly on the same track as last year when around 580 people were reportedly executed," Turk said.

"This is an abominable record, particularly when you consider the growing consensus for universal abolition of the death penalty," he added.

- UN experts urge Iran to establish moratorium on executions

In a separate statement, a group of UN experts on Tuesday urged Iran to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.

"Strongly" condemning the recent executions in Iran, they warned that "executions following flawed trials were tantamount to arbitrary deprivation of life under international law."

The recent executions in Iran include Habib Chaab, a Swedish-Iranian national from the Ahwazi Arab minority, on Saturday and Yousef Mehrdad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare on Monday.

“It is deeply worrying that despite repeated appeals by human rights mechanisms and the international community, the Government carried out the execution of Mr. Habib Chaab,” the UN experts said.

Iran executed Chaab, who was accused of spearheading a separatist group blamed by Tehran for a string of attacks in the country.

According to the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan News, Chaab, leader of the Harakat al-Nidal group, was convicted of being the “mastermind” of a 2018 attack that killed 25 people in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran.

On Sept. 22, 2018, militants masquerading as soldiers opened fire on an annual military parade in Ahvaz, capital of the Khuzestan province.

They also raised concerns over executions of Mehrdad and Zare, who were accused for crimes including blasphemy and had been under arrest since May 2020.