Iranian authorities have executed at least 570 prisoners in the first half of 2015, an increase of about 40% compared to the first half of 2014. According to reports by Iran Human Rights, at least 1,900 people have been executed since the election of President Hassan Rouhani in June 2013. Despite the highest execution rate in more than two decades, Iranian authorities haven’t met any major criticism from the international community.

Iran Human Rights, June 30, 2015: Since the election of President Hassan Rouhani and a significant improvement in relations between Iranian and western officials, the situation of the death penalty in Iran has become the worse it has been since the last in two decades ago. At least 570 people have been hanged to death in the first six months of 2015. This represents an average of more than 3 executions each day. IHR once again calls on the international community to take Iran’s use of the death penalty seriously and show adequate reaction to it. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR said: “The dialogue between the West and Iran has apparently failed to improve the situation of the human rights in Iran. If any, the impact has been negative with regards to Iran’s use of the death penalty”.

According to IHR’s report at least 394 people have been executed for drug related charges in the first half of 2015. This counts for 69% of all executions. 190 of the executions have been carried out in the Ghezelhesar and Rajaishahr prisons of Karaj (west of Tehran).

Some facts about the executions in the first half of 2015 in Iran:

223 (39%) of the executions were announced by the official Iranian media
After drug offences (69%), murder charges (19%) counted for most of the executions
34 executions were carried out in public spaces
10 women and one juvenile offender were among those executed
Ghezelhesar was the prison with the highest number of executions
At least seven prisoners were executed for their political or ideological affiliations
Iranhr.net