Iran executed five men for rape on Wednesday amid continued international criticism of the country’s frequent use of the death penalty.
The five men were executed by hanging. They were arrested for kidnapping and raping a woman in the city of Marand in northwest Iran in May of last year and later convicted, Agence France-Presse reported.
Why it matters: Iran is one of the top practitioners of the death penalty in the world. In 2022, more than 576 people were executed in the country, behind only China. Executions increased 83% compared to 2021, largely due to murder and drug-related offenses, according to Amnesty International.
Iranian authorities’ use of the death penalty frequently attracts criticism. In a June report, the United Nations’ Human Rights Office said that some of those executed this year were denied due process and fair trial rights. The UN also said that the number of executions of minorities in Iran remains “disproportionately high.” One-third of those executed in 2022 were from Iran’s Baluchi community. Baluchis also accounted for half of the drug-related executions last year, according to the UN. Baluchis make up around 2% of Iran’s population.
The use of the death penalty continues in the country despite the criticism. Human Rights Watch reported at least 60 executions in two weeks spanning from late April to mid-May, calling it an “alarming surge.”
In June, Amnesty International reported that Iran has executed at least 173 people for drug-related crimes so far this year. This figure is nearly three times higher than last year, according to the organization.
Know more: Some Iranians have also been executed in relation to the protests in the country. In May, three men were executed for participating in the anti-government protests in Iran that began in September 2022.
There was also another rape-related execution recently. Last month, Iran executed three men after they were convicted of luring women to a fake cosmetic surgery clinic and then raping them under anesthesia, according to AFP.
