Executions

The Islamic Republic of Iran executes the second-highest number of people annually in the world: in 2011, for instance, the Islamic Republic of Iran executed 660 people. In Iran, capital punishment can be imposed on appeal, thereby acting as a deterrent to appeals in criminal cases. Juveniles can also be subjected to capital punishment, in violation of peremptory norms. Moreover, capital punishment is not limited to violent crimes. Adultery, drug offenses, sodomy (consensual or otherwise), apostasy (conversion from Islam), “insulting the prophet”, and vague national security crimes like “sowing corruption on Earth” are all punishable by death. Meanwhile, capital punishment cases are often marked by weak evidentiary standards, as outlined by some of the documents listed below.