Iran authorities execute man by public hanging for murdering lawyer News
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Iran authorities execute man by public hanging for murdering lawyer

Iranian authorities executed a man who was convicted of murdering lawyer Mahmoudreza Jafar Aghaei in Shahrood, Iran by public hanging on Monday. This was the first time the country publicly hanged an individual this year.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran identified the executed man as Amirreza Ajam Akrami and stated that he was sentenced to execution for retribution. The center said executing him breached international law and urged the international community to condemn such executions. The center wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

Public executions are a flagrant violation of international human rights law, including the right to life and the prohibition of cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, as outlined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [], to which Iran is a signatory.

Moreover, public executions are inherently degrading and dehumanizing, contributing to a culture of violence and instilling fear within society.

The international community must urgently condemn these executions and hold the Iranian government accountable for its ongoing violations of human rights and international law.

Iran continues to have one of the highest execution rates worldwide. At least 853 individuals were executed in Iran in 2023, with the country’s Baluchi ethnic minority group accounting for 20 percent of recorded executions. Amnesty International stated that at least 545 executions should not have occurred under international law. Human Rights Watch also called for heightened international attention to the frequency and nature of executions in Iran, urging global leaders to take action against these practices.

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