“Most of the executions last year were for drug-related offences, but dissidents and people connected to the 2022 protests were also executed. There was also a rise in the number of women executed,” she said.

“It is high time Iran stemmed this ever-swelling tide of executions,” the spokesperson said.

The UN Human Rights Office opposes the death penalty under all circumstances. It is incompatible with the fundamental right to life and raises the unacceptable risk of executing innocent people. “And to be clear, it can never be imposed for conduct that is protected under international human rights law,” Throssell said.

“We understand that at least 31 women were reportedly executed in 2024. Now, that marks the highest number in 15 years,” she said.

“The majority of cases involve charges of murder. A significant number of the women were victims of domestic violence, child marriage or forced marriage. A number of them were convicted of murdering their husbands.”

“The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk urges the Iranian authorities to halt all further executions, and to place a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to ultimately abolishing it. Some 170 States have either abolished the death penalty or imposed a moratorium on its use,” Throssell said.

END

In Geneva: 

Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org 

Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org

Jeremy Laurence - + 41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org

Thameen Al-Kheetan - + 41 76 223 77 62 / thameen.alkheetan@un.org

 Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights

STORY: UN Human Rights Spokesperson Liz Throssell on Iran Executions in 2024 

TRT: 01:55

SOURCE: OHCHR / UNOG
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9 
DATELINE:  07 January 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 

SHOTLIST 

1. Exterior shot : Palais des Nations
2. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We are deeply troubled by the marked increase in executions in Iran last year. At least 901 people were reportedly executed in 2024, including some 40 in one week alone in December. At least 853 people were executed in 2023.”
3. Cut away: briefing room
4. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Most of the executions last year were for drug-related offences, but dissidents and people connected to the 2022 protests were also executed. There was also a rise in the number of women executed.”
5. Cut away: briefing room
6. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “It is high time Iran stemmed this ever-swelling tide of executions.” 
7. Cut away: briefing room
8. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “And to be clear, it can never be imposed for conduct that is protected under international human rights law.” 
9. Cut away: briefing room
10. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We understand that at least 31 women were reportedly executed in 2024. Now, that marks the highest number in 15 years.
11. Cut away: briefing room
12. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “the majority of cases involve charges of murder. A significant, number of the women, were victims of domestic violence, child marriage or forced marriage. A number of them were convicted of murdering their husbands.”
13. Cut away: briefing room
14. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk urges the Iranian authorities to halt all further executions, and to place a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to ultimately abolishing it. Some 170 States have either abolished the death penalty or imposed a moratorium on its use”