32 Nations Urge Iran to Halt Executions
Summary
32 countries, led by France, Britain and Canada, have condemned Iran’s rising use of executions against protesters and urged Tehran to stop the death penalty and release detainees held without legal basis. The UN and human rights groups say executions and arrests have increased after anti-government protests and the Middle East war.
Key Points
- 32 countries and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned Iran’s increasing executions and called for an immediate halt to the death penalty.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the criticism, accusing Western countries of hypocrisy over human rights.
- The UN says at least 56 people have been executed since March 19 on national-security charges, with more than 100 others at risk.
- Amnesty International says Iran executed more than 2,150 people last year, the highest total in the world after China.
