A warning of a potential surge in executions following Iran’s presidential election has come from the Iran Human Rights Non-Governmental Organisation (IHRNGO). The announcement coincided with the sentencing of Sharifeh Mohammadi, a prominent female political activist.
In its latest report issued on 3 July on the human rights situation in Iran, IHRNGO documented 249 executions in the past six months and warned of a possible increase in the rate post-election. Also on 3 July, a court in Rasht in northern Iran sentenced Sharifeh Mohammadi to death for alleged rebellion against the state.
The report explains that Iran historically reduces the rate of executions ahead of elections to boost voter turnout, but that “experience from previous years shows that […] immediately after the elections there is always a sharp increase in executions”. The organisation has urged both Iranian society and the international community to monitor and respond to any rise in executions.
Sharifeh Mohammadi was convicted by the First Branch of the Rasht Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Ahmad Darwish Goftar, on a charge of “Baghi” (armed rebellion against the Islamic ruler). She was initially arrested on propaganda charges in Rasht in December 2023, but was accused of more serious offences following alleged torture to extract a confession.
The verdict has sparked widespread condemnation from labour, civil and political activists, along with independent trade unions. Various groups, including the executive political board of the Left Party of Iran and certain cultural activist organisations, have protested against the ruling.
Among others recently arrested on similar charges are Warisheh Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi, Kurdish political prisoners held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.
They are victims of a crackdown including several civilian activists accused of “Baghi,” such as Vahid Bani Amrian, Puya Qabadi, Babak Alipour, Abolhasan Montazer, Seyyed Mohammad Tagvi and Asghar Daneshfar.
Iran remains one of the world’s leading executioners, accounting for over 75% of global executions in recent years. The country recorded 834 executions in 2023 alone, marking a significant increase from previous years.
