TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran executed three men convicted of drug trafficking on Sunday, a court said, the latest of hundreds of people hanged in the country since the start of the year.
The three men, described as members of a “drug cartel“, were hanged after being found guilty of “corruption on earth” for producing nearly 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of heroin, the judiciary news site Mizan Online said.
The executions come a day after a man was hanged following a conviction for running a human trafficking and prostitution ring.
On Friday, three more men were executed for killing members of the security forces in November during protests sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.
Iran has seen waves of nationwide protests following the September 16 death of Amini, 22, an Iranian Kurd who was arrested for an alleged violation of the Islamic republic’s strict dress rules for women.
During the protests, which Tehran has described as “riots” of foreign origin, thousands of Iranians were arrested and hundreds killed, including dozens of security personnel.
Friday’s executions have been denounced by Western countries and human rights groups based outside Iran.
Iran executes more people a year than any other country except China, according to human rights groups including Amnesty International.
The country hanged 75% more people in 2022 than the year before, Norwegian group Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) said in a joint report in April.
At least 582 people were executed in Iran last year, the highest number of executions in the country since 2015 and well above the 333 recorded in 2021, the two groups said.
But the pace of executions this year has been even higher so far, with IHR now counting at least 260 executions so far this year.
The three men, described as members of a “drug cartel“, were hanged after being found guilty of “corruption on earth” for producing nearly 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of heroin, the judiciary news site Mizan Online said.
The executions come a day after a man was hanged following a conviction for running a human trafficking and prostitution ring.
On Friday, three more men were executed for killing members of the security forces in November during protests sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.
Iran has seen waves of nationwide protests following the September 16 death of Amini, 22, an Iranian Kurd who was arrested for an alleged violation of the Islamic republic’s strict dress rules for women.
During the protests, which Tehran has described as “riots” of foreign origin, thousands of Iranians were arrested and hundreds killed, including dozens of security personnel.
Friday’s executions have been denounced by Western countries and human rights groups based outside Iran.
Iran executes more people a year than any other country except China, according to human rights groups including Amnesty International.
The country hanged 75% more people in 2022 than the year before, Norwegian group Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) said in a joint report in April.
At least 582 people were executed in Iran last year, the highest number of executions in the country since 2015 and well above the 333 recorded in 2021, the two groups said.
But the pace of executions this year has been even higher so far, with IHR now counting at least 260 executions so far this year.
