In 2023, more than half of all recorded executions in Iran were for drug-related charges. At least
471 people were executed without any backlash or political cost for the Islamic Republic. The
majority of those executed are from deprived and marginalised communities. The number of
executions carried out in the ethnic regions, particularly the Kurd and Baluch, is disproportionally high compared to their population. In 2023, a third of those executed for drug-related charges were Baluch people.
 
Drug defendants are sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts based on torture-tainted confessions, without due process and fair trial rights and often without access to a lawyer.
 
Drug-related executions have not received appropriate international reaction and their daily
implementation is met with media silence. This has led to the authorities carrying out 18 times more drug executions in 2023 compared to 2020 with the lowest political cost.
 
On the other hand, the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) which cooperates with Iran in combating drug trafficking, has not only remained silent about the sharp hike in
drug executions, but signed a new agreement with the Islamic Republic in May 2023. In addition
to legitimising the state’s use of the death penalty, this cooperation also leads to more executions through financial aid and equipment.
 
We are concerned that hundreds more will be executed in the coming months if we do not increase the political cost of these executions for the Islamic Republic. We call on all human rights organisations and activists to take part in a special global campaign to stop drug-related
executions in Iran.
 
The aim of the campaign is to echo the voice of the most voiceless victims of the Islamic Republic’s execution and intimidation machine. We also urge the UNODC to make any cooperation with the Islamic Republic contingent on a complete halt on drug-related executions.
 
 
 
1.    Abolition Death Penalty of Iraq Organization
2.    ACAT Belgique (Belgium)
3.    ACAT France
4.    ACAT Germany (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture)
5.    Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO)
6.    Aktion für Menschenrechte e.V.
7.    Alliance Path for Iran (API)
8.    All Human Rights for All in Iran
9.    Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Democratic/Cultural Claims of the Azerbaijani People in Iran (ARCDH)
10.    Association for the Human Rights of the Azerbaijani People in Iran (AHRAZ)
11.    Baloch Activists Campaign
12.    Balochistan Human Rights Group
13.    Bramsh - Balochistan Women’s Voices
14.    Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI)
15.    Capital Punishment Justice Project, Australia
16.    Center for Human Rights in Iran
17.    Centre for Human Rights in Iran
18.    Centre Zagros pour les Droits de l’Homme
19.    Christian Union for Progress and Human Rights, DRC
20.    Death Penalty Focus (USA)
21.    Defenders of Human Rights Center (Shirin Ebadi)
22.    Eleos Justice, Monash University, Australia
23.    Ensemble contre la peine de mort (ECPM)
24.    Ensemble pour l’Iran
25.    Federal Association of Vietnamese Refugees in the Federal Republic of Germany
26.    Feminista Bonn
27.    Free Human Association
28.    Free Them Now
29.    Frauen für Freiheit e.V
30.    German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP)
31.    Global Campaign to Stop Executions In Iran
32.    Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo, Guatemala
33.    HAALVSH
34.    Hands Off Cain
35.    Hanai Rojhelat
36.    Harm Reduction International
37.    Hengaw Organization for Human Rights
38.    HANA Human Rights Organization
39.    Humanité Diaspo, France
40.    International Committee Against Execution (ICAE)
41.    International Iranian Physicians and Healthcare Providers Association (IIPHA)
42.    International Women in Power
43.    Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO)
44.    Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
45.    Iranian Healthcare Association for Democracy and Human Rights
46.    Iransk Solidaritetsforum
47.    Iraqi Kurdistan Human Rights Watch
48.    Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU)
49.    Justice for Iran
50.    Justice Supporters Association
51.    Kanoon-e Khavaran
52.    Key and Vulnerable Population Tanzania (KVP Forum)
53.    Kurdistan Human Rights Association - Geneva |
54.    Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN)
55.    Kurdistan Human Rights Reporters Center
56.    Kurdpa Human Rights Organization
57.    Minnesota 4Iran
58.    Nemiran Center
59.    NIKA, Network of Iranians for Liberty and Democracy
60.    Norsk Iransk Råd
61.    Rasanak
62.    Rescue Alternatives Liberia
63.    Rev Group Iran
64.    Rojhalat Women Organisation
65.    SALAM DHR, Bahrain
66.    Simorgh; Centre socio-culturel des Iraniens de Québec
67.    SolidarIran Association
68.    Solidarität mit der Iranischen Revolution - Frankfurt/Mainz
69.    Stop Child Executions (SCE)
70.    The Baloch Activists Campaign
71.    The Sunny Center Foundation (USA)
72.    Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), South Korea
73.    Transnational Community Federation e.V
74.    Volunteer Doctors of Kurdistan
75.    Voices of Iranians- Frankfurt
76.    WISE (Women’s Independence and Sustainable Equality)
77.    Woman-Life-Freedom, Melbourne
78.    World Coalition Against the Death Penalty