Iran’s Execution of Afghans: A Deep Dive into the Numbers and Concerns

Iran, a country with a high rate of executions, has recently become stricter with Afghan immigrants. Following the conflict with Israel, the Iranian government has deported many Afghans. According to Hengaw, an Iranian human rights organization, approximately ten Afghan citizens were executed in Iran during September. The report states that Iran executed a minimum of 187 people in September, showing a staggering 140% increase in executions when compared to the prior year. Executions in September of the prior year totaled 78, showing that the number of executions this year is the highest in two decades. Hengaw also previously released that during the past nine months, around a thousand people were executed in Iran, including 65 Afghan nationals. These numbers raise concerns about the potential for unfair treatment of Afghans within the Iranian legal system. Some reports say that Afghan immigrants are suspected of opposing the Shia government. Legal experts have stated that the sentencing given by the courts violates both international and Iranian law when the fundamental rights of the defendants are not considered. It’s been alleged that defendants in Iran are often not provided with legal representation to prove their innocence, leading to unfair sentencing.