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Iran judiciary in conflict over executions

The debate about executions in Iran over drug-related crimes is heating up.
Tehran Prosecutor General Saeed Mortazavi (2nd L) attends the execution by hanging of Majid Kavousifar and Hossein Kavousifar in Tehran August 2, 2007. Iran hanged Majid and Hossein, the killers of a judge, Hassan Moghaddas, who had jailed several reformist dissidents, before a crowd of hundreds of people on Thursday. The banner reads: "We give our condolences to all our judiciary colleagues and the deceased family on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Hassan Moghaddas". REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN) -

Despite a decrease in the number of executions, Iran continues to be the nation with one of the highest rates of executions in the world, mostly for drug-related crimes. According to Amnesty International, Iran executed a reported 567 people in 2016. In 2015, the number was 977. Still, at 567 people, Iran was executing more than one person a day. This issue has been openly discussed in one of the unlikeliest places: Iran’s judiciary.

Hojat al-Islam Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesman for Iran's judiciary, in a Aug. 9 speech addressed Iran’s high execution rate with respect to drug-related crimes. “Do we want to solve all of our problems with punishments and increasing punishments?” he asked. “Some say, you have increased the punishment but there is still crime. On the issue of illegal drugs, we have laws from many years ago and many times [the punishment] has been increased and now they want to decrease it.”

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