UN rights chief alarmed by rise in executions, death sentences in Iran

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Wednesday voiced alarm over a rise in executions and death sentences in Iran since March, saying capital punishment was being used to "instill fear among the population and suppress dissent."

"I urge the authorities to urgently halt all executions and move towards the abolition of the death penalty," Turk said in a statement.

According to the UN rights chief, at least 56 people have been executed on national security-related charges since March 19, including 27 in cases linked to protests earlier this year.

He added that more than 100 others were at risk of execution on similar charges, while executions for drug-related offenses continued at an "alarming rate."

Turk also raised concerns over what he described as persistent violations of fair-trial and due process guarantees.

He said confessions were allegedly obtained through torture and other forms of ill-treatment, while several executions were reportedly carried out in public.

He further noted that some executions took place only weeks after arrest and that 12 defendants were reportedly sentenced to death following a single three-hour closed-door hearing.

"The death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and irreconcilable with human dignity. Such punishment has no place in our world," Turk said.