Human Rights Chief Reports Rise In Iranian Executions

UN human rights chief Volker Turk stated that the rights of Iranian people are being stripped away in harsh and brutal ways. The UN reported that many detainees were arrested under vaguely written national security laws. Most prisoners are victims of forced disappearances, torture, televised confessions, and mock executions. Rights groups claim Iran executes more people annually than any country except China. Bahar Ghandhari, director of advocacy for the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, reported that several thousand people have disappeared into the system. These individuals are among the 50,000 people arrested following the January massacres. Ghandhari stated that authorities are equating dissent to espionage or being an enemy of the state. There are concerns regarding the potential execution of detainees. Human rights chief Volker Turg alleged a sharp rise in executions and mass arrests in Iran. At least nine of those executed were linked to protests that occurred in January. An additional 10 people were executed for alleged membership in opposition groups and two for espionage since the war began in late February. Turg stated he was appalled by the stripping of rights from the Iranian people.