In 2024, Iran executed at least 31 women, marking the highest annual figure since documentation began in 2008 by Norway’s Iran Human Rights (IHR). This surge is part of a troubling rise in capital punishment, particularly affecting female prisoners, as they become entangled in a chilling wave of executions. Most executions of women between 2010 and 2024 stemmed from drug and murder charges, with a significant number being victims of domestic violence, often killing partners in a desperate bid for survival.
Activists express deep concern over this alarming trend, attributing the increased executions to the Islamic authorities’ attempts to instill fear in the aftermath of nationwide protests between 2022 and 2023. IHR reported at least 166 executions in October 2024 alone, highlighting an unprecedented rate of capital punishment in the country. This systematic brutality underscores the harsh realities faced by women, spotlighting a judicial system rife with gender discrimination and inequality.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, IHR’s director, emphasized the grievous impact of this judicial landscape, stating that it not only reveals the inhumanity of the death penalty but also unveils a profound gender bias within Iran’s legal system. Many women executed were not only charged with murder but were often victims of grave injustices, entangled in domestic abuse that led to tragic outcomes.
Iran’s retributive justice law, qisas, complicates matters, as it fails to consider mitigating circumstances like domestic violence during sentencing. Cases such as Zahra Esmaili’s illustrate this harsh reality; forced into a violent marriage, she was executed after killing her abuser, her case a haunting echo of injustice. Reyhaneh Jabbari’s tragic death, stemming from her fight against assault, serves as another grim reminder of the dire consequences faced by women in Iran.
Iran executed at least 31 women in 2024, the highest figure since 2008, according to Iran Human Rights. Many were victims of domestic violence, and the increase in executions follows a rise in capital punishment. The country’s judiciary often fails to consider mitigating circumstances, leading to tragic outcomes for vulnerable women.
The execution of women in Iran reveals severe systemic flaws, exposing a landscape where victims of domestic violence become targets of capital punishment. The alarming statistics indicate a troubling reality of gender discrimination within the judicial framework. Calls for reform and the reevaluation of judicial practices are urgent to safeguard vulnerable populations against such inhumane treatment.
The Iranian legal system operates under Islamic law, which enforces capital punishment even in cases of domestic violence. This creates an environment where victims can become defendants, facing execution for actions taken in self-defense or desperation. The global community has increasingly scrutinized these human rights violations, pushing for reforms to protect women’s rights and reevaluate the justice system’s approach to such sensitive cases.
Original Source: www.hindustantimes.com
