Worldwide Wednesday International Roundup: Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam

Iran 

According to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), October saw the highest monthly execution total in Iran since 2007, when the organization began documenting executions. There were at least 166 executions last month, bringing the yearly total to 651 executions over the past 10 months. Of the October executions identified by IHRNGO, only 12%, or 20 executions, were reported by official sources. Eleven Baluch and nine Kurdish people were among those executed. The increase in number of Afghan nationals executed also continues: there were 13 Afghan nationals executed in October, bringing the 10-month total to 49—an increase from 2023 when a total of 25 Afghan nationals were executed. 

Drug-related crimes, which do not meet the international legal threshold of a “most serious crime,” were the reasons that 64 people were executed. The ongoing “No Death Penalty Tuesday” weekly hunger strike movement among Iranian prisoners drew external support in its 39th week from the families of prisoners who were sentenced to death for drug-related crimes. On October 22, 2024, their families staged a peaceful protest outside of the parliament in Tehran, chanting “Don’t Execute.” Based on video footage, IHRNGO estimates that around 100 people were involved.. “Civil protests against the death penalty in a country where 5 to 6 people are executed every day is unprecedented and should be widely supported,” said IHRNGO Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam. “Despite the possibility of violent repression by the forces of the Islamic Republic, people have come to the streets to say no to the death penalty. The international community should hear the voice of the Iranian people and break its silence regarding the wave of executions in Iran.” 

Iran’s judiciary news agency announced on October 28, 2024 that dual Iranian-German national Jamshid Sharmahd, who was sentenced to death for “corruption of Earth,” had been “punished for his actions.” But judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters on November 5 that “Jamshid Sharmahd was sentenced to death, his execution was imminent, but he died before it could be carried out.” According to The Guardian, the Iranian government has implied that Mr. Sharmahd died from a stroke. “This inconsistency raises serious questions about the circumstances of the death and the transparency of the Iranian system,” Jason Poblete, a lawyer representing the Sharmahd family, told The Associated Press. “The family has been urging the German and U.S. authorities to investigate this matter to ascertain the truth, ensure accountability thoroughly and reunite Jimmy with his family in California.” Following reports of Mr. Sharmahd’s death, Germany closed all three Iranian consulates in the country. 

Pakistan 

On October 10, 2024, Justice Project Pakistan released its annual report, “Death Penalty in Pakistan: Data Mapping Capital Punishment.” As of September 30, 2024, there are 6,161 prisoners on death row in Pakistan, largely concentrated in the Punjab (2,505) and Khyber Pakthunkwa (2,311) provinces. The report noted that “despite the passage of the Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Act 2023, which eliminated the death penalty for narcotics offenses, challenges remain.” In January and May, individuals were sentenced to death on narcotics charges; three cases are currently pending appeal before the High Court. Of the 93 individuals who remain on death row for drug-related charges, 84 of them are in the Baluchistan province. “The high concentration of condemned prisoners in Balochistan calls for a closer examination of the region’s judicial and sentencing practices, particularly in light of the ongoing reforms aimed at reducing the use of capital punishment,” said the report.  

Saudi Arabia 

Seven organizations—ALQST for Human Rights; Amnesty International; ECPM - Together against the death penalty; The European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR); Human Rights Watch; MENA Rights Group; and Reprieve—released a joint statement on October 14, 2024, stating they were “horrified by the soaring number of executions,” which is now “more than the number of executions for any whole year in the past three decades.” The statement explains: “This shows the Saudi authorities’ flagrant disregard for the right to life and contradicts their own pledges [made in 2018 and 2022] to limit use of the death penalty.” The death penalty continues to be used for non-lethal crimes, including drug-related offenses and non-lethal terrorism-related offenses (e.g. protests), as well as on juvenile offenders, nine of whom are at risk of imminent execution. “While continuing to carry out these egregious human rights abuses, the Saudi authorities are at the same time striving to rebrand their image on the international stage. …  As such, it is vital that the international community is not dazzled by such distractions, but focuses on the reality on the ground, namely the spike in executions and systematic crackdown on free speech,” said the statement. 

According to an ESOHR report, there have been at least 234 executions as of October 24, 2024. ESOHR highlights that of these executions, 20 were sentenced to death on treason charges by the Specialized Criminal Court, representing an increase from 2023 when two people were executed for treason. “Treason is one of the most ambiguous political charges, lacking transparency and human rights oversight, which makes it a potential tool for excessive repression and killings,” said ESOHR. “The figures point to a significant increase in the use of this charge, one that has not been subject to human rights monitoring or media coverage. Given the lack of trust in Saudi courts and the absence of transparency, the rapid expansion of this charge suggests its use as a political tool for excessive repression and executions without regard for compliance with international agreements and laws.” 

Vietnam 

Truong My Lan, who was sentenced to death in the country’s largest fraud case, has filed an appeal. She was first sentenced to death and ordered to repay nearly $27 billion in April 2024 after being convicted of multiple counts of bribery, violating banking regulations, and embezzlement. According to VNExpress, in a second trial that ended October 17, she was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for fraudulent property appropriation, 12 years for laundering more than $18 billion, and eight years for illegally transferring $1.5 billion out of the country and receiving $3 billion from abroad.