Iran: ''570 executions in first half of 2015''

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 (IHR), at least 1,900 people have been executed since the election of President Hassan Rouhani in June 2013. It is the highest execution rate in more than two decades.
Iran Human Rights, July 1, 2015: Since the election of President Hassan Rouhani and a significant improvement in relations between Iranian and western officials, the rate of executions in Iran has been its highest in more than two decades. At least 570 people have been hanged to death in the first six months of 2015, representing an average of more than three executions per 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.
“The dialogue between the West and Iran has apparently failed to improve the situation of the human rights in Iran,” says Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson for IHR.

According to IHR’s latest report, at least 394 people have been executed for drug related charges in the first half of 2015, counting for 69% of all executions. 190 of these executions were carried out in Ghezel Hesar and Rajai Shahr prisons located in the city of Karaj (west of Tehran).
Facts about the executions in Iran for the first half of 2015:

• 224 (39%) of the executions were announced by official Iranian media
• After drug offenses (69%), murder charges (19%) counted for the most amount of executions
• 34 of the executions were carried out in public spaces
• 10 women and one juvenile offender were among those executed
• Ghezel Hesar was the prison with the highest number of executions
• At least seven prisoners were executed for their political or ideological affiliations