A new report on Thursday has revealed alarming figures for Iranian executions this year, a killing spree that rights groups say is intended to intimidate the Iranian people.
In May alone, at least 142 people were executed in the country, the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) said in its report. The number, which averages to over four people executed per day, is the highest monthly figure in the country since 2015.
At least 307 people have been executed this year, a 76% increase compared to the same period last year, the report showed.
In the report, IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam called on the international community to urgently intervene to stop the country’s “killing machine,” writing, “The purpose of the Islamic Republic’s intensification of arbitrary executions is to spread societal fear to prevent protests and prolong its rule.”
