Vigil by Iranians on World Day against the Death Penalty

On October 9, 2023, the day before the World Day Against the Death Penalty, free Iranians and volunteers from the Association of Welle organized a sit-in in front of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. The purpose of the gathering was to protest against the increasing number of executions in Iran and to demand an immediate end to this inhumane punishment.

Participants held photos of those executed and placards reading “No to Execution”, denouncing the crimes of the ruling clerical regime in Iran and calling out the silence of the international community on these grave issues.

Alarming rise in executions in Iran

Since the beginning of 2023, more than 853 people have been executed in Iran, representing a 25% increase compared to the previous year. This disturbing rise has attracted particular attention since the appointment of Masoud Pezeshkian as the new president. According to human rights activists, these executions are being used as a tool to suppress protesters and silence dissidents. Since the start of Pezeshkian’s presidential term, more than 255 people have been executed.

Calls for international intervention

The protesters called on international organizations and human rights bodies to send a United Nations fact-finding mission to investigate the conditions of political prisoners and the status of executions in Iranian prisons. They emphasized the need for governments around the world to make their economic and political relations with Iran conditional upon a halt to executions.

Executions as a tool of repression

The protesters stressed that executions are a crime against humanity and called for global support for human rights in Iran. They highlighted the role of executions in suppressing protests and violating human rights under the rule of Iran’s clerical regime. The international community, they insisted, must pay greater attention to these atrocities.

Urging global action to halt executions

The sit-in participants hope to increase pressure on the Iranian regime. Ultimately, they called for immediate international action to support human rights and stop the executions in Iran. These efforts aim to bring about positive changes in the regime’s policies and contribute to the protection of human rights in Iran.