Richard Bennett: Increase in Executions, Including Afghans in Iran, a Serious Warning for Human Rights

Kokcha News Agency: Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has expressed deep concern over the increase in executions in Iran, including the execution of Afghan citizens, calling it a serious warning for the state of human rights. Bennett, in a statement on his X account on Monday, October 7, 2025, emphasized that this blatant disregard for human rights must be stopped.

The United Nations has raised concerns over the rise in executions, including those of Afghan citizens in Iran. In November 2024, the Iran Human Rights Organization reported that the execution of Afghans in Iran had increased following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

In response to the surge in executions of Afghans, 84 Iranian and international human rights organizations issued a call urging the international community and political activists to take action to stop the execution of Afghan citizens in Iran.

UN experts have also warned of the significant increase in executions in the Islamic Republic, describing it as a violation of international human rights laws. They called the scale of executions in Iran “astonishing,” noting that the Islamic Republic has been executing an average of nine people daily in recent weeks.

The UN experts stated: “Iran must immediately halt executions, publish data on death sentences and their implementation, and take steps towards the complete abolition of the death penalty.”

They also addressed the global community, saying: “The international community cannot remain silent in the face of such systematic violations of the right to life. Countries must take practical diplomatic actions to pressure Iran to stop this wave of executions.”