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UN reiterates opposition to death penalty as critics flag executions in Iran
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Summary
The UN flagged a human-rights office statement reporting at least 21 executions in Iran and thousands arrested; the secretary-general, the spokesperson said, opposes capital punishment and advocates for a moratorium and due process.
A reporter asked what the UN could do after the Iranian court upheld the death sentence for a 27-year-old Kurdish inmate, Nasser Bakrzada. The UN spokesperson said the secretary-general "is against the death penalty. No exceptions, right, in all circumstances," and that the UN seeks a moratorium and advocacy to prevent executions.
The moderator also flagged a statement from Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, deploring Iran's crackdown on dissent. The statement, the spokesperson said, reports at least 21 executions "by his count" and estimates that since February 28 more than 4,000 individuals have been arrested on national-security-related charges. The human-rights office, the spokesperson added, reported allegations of enforced disappearances, torture, coerced confessions and mock executions.
Why it matters: The briefing underscores international concerns about due process and capital punishment in Iran, and it indicates continued UN advocacy by human-rights officials. The spokesperson said such crimes are intolerable and that people must be held to account.
What’s next: The UN will continue advocacy through the high commissioner’s office and through diplomatic channels to press for fair trials, due process and a halt to further executions.
