IRAN: NUMBER OF EXECUTIONS IN 2012 AMONG THE HIGHEST IN MORE THAN 15 YEARS

According to the fifth annual report of Iran Human Rights (IHR) on the death penalty in Iran, in 2012 the Islamic Republic carried out at least 580 executions, a number among the highest in more than 15 years: 294 execution cases (51%) were reported by official Iranian sources (websites of the Iranian Judiciary, national Iranian broadcasting network, and official or state-run news agencies and newspapers); 286 cases (49%) included in the annual numbers were reported by unofficial sources (other human rights NGOs or IHR’s sources inside Iran).
IHR emphasizes that the actual number of the executions is probably much higher than the figures included in its annual report. At least 240 additional executions were not included in the report, due to difficulties in confirming some of the details. In fact, only 85 out of the 325 estimated secret executions in Vakilabad Prison were included in the 2012 report.
According to the official sources, a majority of those who were executed were convicted of drug-related offences (73%), followed by rape (16%), murder (6%), Moharebeh (waging war against God) (3%), and armed robbery (2%).