Iran on 'execution spree' of Kurdish, Baluchi minorities, Amnesty says
A total of 94 people of any background were executed in January and February, according to Amnesty International.
A human rights watchdog accused Iran on Thursday of targeting the country’s minorities in an "execution spree."
Amnesty International said in a press release that 14 Kurds, 13 Baluchis and one Arab have been executed this year following “grossly unfair trials.” The London-based organization observed a “chilling escalation in the use of the death penalty as a tool of repression against ethnic minorities.”
Several of those executed were accused of belonging to outlawed opposition groups. A total of 94 people of various backgrounds were executed in January and February, according to Amnesty International.
Background: Iran has an ethnically and religiously diverse population. In addition to the Persian majority, there are large communities of Kurds, Arabs, Baluchis, Azeris and others. Iran also notably has the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel with around 8,000, though the community used to be much larger.
