Iran-HRM – Based on the registered statistics at the Center for Statistics and Documentation of Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM), and through extensive research conducted in this field, the final figures of executions in April 2024 have been obtained. It should be emphasized that the actual numbers are significantly higher, as most executions in Iran are carried out secretly.
The judiciary of Iran has extensively employed the death penalty, considered as one of the most ruthless and inhumane forms of punishment. In the report for April 2024, we intend to explore the executions in the following areas:
- Total Number of Executions
- Executions of women
- Secret Executions and Publicly Announced Executions
Total Number of Executions
In April 2024, the execution statistics have significantly increased at an alarming rate. The judiciary of Iran executed 72 individuals during this month. This is in contrast to March, where 18 individuals were executed. The number of executions in April has witnessed an increase of nearly fourfold. Furthermore, compared to February, where 13 individuals were executed, the number has grown by more than fivefold. This means that the trend of executions has multiplied by five over the course of three months, which is highly concerning.
Execution of women
The judiciary of Iran carried out the death sentences of three women during the month of April 2024. The first execution of a death sentence in April:: On the morning of Thursday, April 11, 2024, the death sentence of 19-year-old Marjan Hajizadeh and her 29-year-old husband, Esmail Hassaniani, was carried out in Zanjan Central Prison.
Marjan Hajizadeh was 16 years and 3 months old at the time of her arrest. She and her husband were apprehended on one of the highways in Zanjan. It is important to note that Marjan was unaware that her husband was carrying drugs, and she was innocent of any involvement in the matter.
The second execution of a death sentence in April occurred in the early morning of April 26, 2024. A female prisoner in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj was executed. She had been sentenced to capital punishment on February 26, 2022, for the murder of a 70-year-old female neighbor.
The third execution in April, took place on the morning of Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Birjand Prison. A woman prisoner was executed. This woman had previously been sentenced to death for charges related to drug offenses. The identity of this woman has not been disclosed at this time.
Last year, Iran became the largest executioner of women in the world by executing at least 25 women in 2023. In 2022, Iran ranked first as the largest executioner of women worldwide. Iran remains the leading country in the execution of women worldwide.
Secret Executions and Publicly Announced Executions
In April 2024, 65 prisoners were executed secretly and without media coverage, while only 7 executions were made public. Therefore, 90% of the executions in Iran were carried out secretly. and only 10% of the executions were reported by the media in April 2024.
Consequently, it is evident that the numbers and figures of executions are significantly higher in Iran, but unfortunately, they do not reach independent media outlets due to the silence surrounding them.
Call on International Human Rights Authorities
The Iran Human Rights Monitor (IranHRM) calls upon the United Nations, the European Union, and their member states not to remain silent in the face of these executions. It condemns these state-sanctioned massacres and demands immediate and practical action to stop this bloodshed.