Iran: Executions Don’t Stop Addiction

According to the UN, drug crimes do not constitute the “most serious crimes” for which the death penalty is narrowly permissible under international human rights law. Iran is the number one per-capita executor in the world, having put to death at least 1,050 people in 2015. Based on data collected by ABF, this figure is a 20-year high. About 70% of Iran’s annual executions are for narcotics-related offenses. Authorities have executed over 3,000 people since 2010 for drug crimes without tangible achievements in curtailing drug flow and use.