KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), an Iranian human rights organization, reports that the execution of Afghan nationals in Iran has been steadily rising each year since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.
In a report released on Tuesday, September 3, the rights group revealed that at least 11 Afghan nationals were executed in Iran just last month.
According to the report, at least 31 Afghans were executed in Iran over the first eight months of 2024, and at least 25 Afghans were executed in 2023.
In 2022, the year following the Taliban’s takeover, 16 Afghan nationals, including a juvenile and a woman, were executed across Iran.
The rights group stated that it expressed concern a few months after the Taliban’s return to power, warning that the situation could facilitate the execution of Afghan nationals in Iran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, one of the countries with the highest rates of capital punishment in the world, has executed hundreds of people in recent years, including foreign nationals, for a range of crimes such as drug offenses, national security issues, and participation in anti-government protests.
According to IHRNGO, at least 403 people have been executed in Iran so far in 2024, with 100 executions recorded just last month.
The Iranian government does not disclose the number of Afghans it executes or the reasons behind most cases. However, it is widely believed that a significant portion of these executions are related to drug charges.
Human rights organizations have criticized the Iranian government for conducting such executions, arguing that these actions violate international laws and the right to life.
Amnesty International says that the death penalty, without exception, constitutes a violation of the right to life as articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“The shameless rate at which the authorities are carrying out drug-related executions, in violation of international law, exposes their lack of humanity and flagrant disregard for the right to life,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“The international community must ensure that cooperation in anti-drug trafficking initiatives do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the arbitrary deprivation of life and other human rights violations in Iran,” she added.
