The year 2023 AD also passed with all its ups and downs. It was a year that was greatly influenced by the protest movement in Iran, which had started the previous year. The violent crackdown on protesters continued during this year as well. Many of the protesters from the 1401 movement were still imprisoned and faced heavy sentences from the Revolutionary Courts. The ruling government, led by the notorious figure known as Mahsa (Jina) Amini, tried to solidify its power domestically by continuing to violate human rights and suppress dissent. It is a shame that governments rely on coercion and intimidation rather than the consent and support of the people to maintain their power in society.

Many human rights organizations have made great efforts in recent years to support victims of human rights violations in Iran. By recording statistics of these violations, they have been able to provide a more accurate picture of the situation. The human rights activists in Iran, as one of the oldest human rights organizations with almost two decades of experience, have been working since 2009 to gather daily statistics and reports on the human rights situation in Iran. These numbers and statistics allow observers to see the reality of the situation and challenge their perceptions, leading to a deeper understanding and growth.

This collection has gathered, analyzed, and documented over 9656 reports in the year 2023 in order to cover various human rights violations in Iran, from executions to freedom of speech, political repression, minority rights, and other issues falling under the realm of human rights.

In this regard, an attempt is made in the upcoming article to take a look at some of these areas. The source of statistics and figures used in this article is the annual report on the human rights situation in Iran, specifically for the year 2023, published by a group of human rights activists in Iran on the Hrana news agency. (1).

Right to life (execution).

It may not be a bad idea to address the issue of capital punishment as the first problem. Iran, after China, is the second country in terms of execution statistics and, of course, in terms of the ratio of executions to population, it holds the first place with a significant distance from other countries. Apparently, the Islamic Republic of Iran holds the record in the field of execution in any area where it cannot set a record; a negative record that reflects the lack of importance of human life in this country.

According to the report by the human rights activists in 2023, 746 executions have taken place in Iran. Additionally, in this year, 155 people have been sentenced to death, four of whom have been sentenced to public execution. Among the identified genders of the executed in 2023, 597 were men and 20 were women. Furthermore, the sentence of at least two child offenders, who were under the age of 18 at the time of their alleged crime, has been recorded.

However, among the allegations of affiliation for the implementation of this inhumane punishment, drug-related crimes are still at the forefront. According to a report by a group of human rights activists in Iran, 56.43% of executed individuals in 2023 were executed on charges related to drugs. Additionally, 34.72% of these individuals were also accused of murder. Sexual issues and related allegations have also accounted for more than 2.5% of executed individuals.

Furthermore, 3.5 to 4 percent of the executed individuals in 2023 were accused of issues such as rebellion, fighting, and corruption on earth; accusations that are specific to the Islamic Republic of Iran and are not generally identifiable in secular or secular systems of the world.

Another interesting point is that the highest number of executions in 2023 took place in the highly populated prisons of Alborz province and in the prisons of Kerman province.

Thought and expression.

When the Second World War ended, four freedoms were promised to the people of the world by democratic governments and international organizations. It was agreed that citizens of the world would have the freedom of speech and expression, and be free from poverty and fear. When the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written, the emergence of a world where human beings could freely express their beliefs and be free from fear and poverty was declared as the highest hope of humanity. When the people of Iran rose up to change the monarchy system, one of their main slogans was the issue of freedom. They wanted to experience the freedom of speech, thought, and the pen. But apparently, this matter was ignored in Iran after the revolution and we saw what happened. This trend continued in 2023. In this year, 3130 people were arrested in Iran on charges related to thought and expression, of which 116 were detained without a judicial order and illegally (even based on the existing laws in the ruling system

However, limitations and problems do not end with the mentioned cases. In 2023, in this field, for 556 people, at least 25124 months of imprisonment have been issued. This means approximately 294 years of imprisonment for 500 and some Iranian citizens, only for their thoughts and expression of them.

In addition to these imprisonment sentences, 58 Iranian citizens were sentenced to 3381 lashes. A punishment that belongs to our pre-modern world, but apparently, pre-historic judicial sentences in Iran are still ongoing by rulers who think like pre-historians. 80 of these lashes have also been carried out. In addition to all of this, 2112 months of exile for 36 individuals and 48 cases of deprivation of social rights for Iranian citizens.

All of this means a 68% increase in prison sentences for Iranians in this area compared to 2022, despite a 21% decrease in the number of people prosecuted. And again, this means an increase in judicial sentences compared to the number of people prosecuted in this area, and that the judicial system is trying to close the door to any other thoughts and expressions by intensifying its actions.

National Rights

In 2023, at least 324 citizens were detained in the field of national and ethnic rights, of which 156 were detained without a judicial order and were essentially illegal detentions (even according to laws in Iran). Among these, due to lack of information about the detentions and lack of transparency in the judicial system and numerous security agencies in Iran, the charges against 316 of these detainees are not known. In 2023, the Islamic Republic’s judicial system issued 984 months (82 years) of imprisonment for 19 individuals in this field, of which 468 months were for punishment and 516 months were suspended. Among these, 32 months of exile were also issued for these citizens.

The issue is not only imprisonment and exile. Harassment and persecution by security and judicial institutions against citizens in this field has continued as a complement to imprisonment and exile. At least 61 citizens have been summoned by security and judicial institutions in this field. In addition, according to statistics from human rights activists in Iran, in this field, there have been 16 trials, 14 interrogations, 10 travel bans, 17 beatings, 20 home searches, 9 cases of refusal to register births with naming and registering children, and 6 cases of imprisonment have been recorded.

The bitter point here is that in this field and in comparison to 2022, we are facing a 44% increase in arrests. In addition, compared to 2022, the number of people prosecuted has increased by 58% and the rate of imprisonment sentences has increased by 31%. This means that we are facing an increase in persecution and harassment of Iranian minorities in 2023. It is not acceptable for a government to increase the persecution and harassment of ethnic minorities in a country and continue to do so year after year without any consequences. The main cause of this division is the violation of human rights by the ruling government towards these minorities and nothing else.

Religion and religious freedoms.

Iran is a country where for years, believers of different religions and religious approaches have coexisted with each other. The lives of these citizens have been both peaceful and hostile at times. If we consider tolerance as one of the concepts of human rights and if we are committed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its related documents, and if we also understand tolerance as a human and cultural concept that is among the basic needs of human life in a healthy society, then we must say that the human rights record of the Islamic Republic in the field of religious tolerance, and specifically in matters of religious freedom in 2023, is disastrous. When in one year, 142 citizens are arrested on charges related to their religion and beliefs, and 57 citizens are summoned by security and judicial institutions, and even a citizen is deprived of education, this means that the situation of religious tolerance in this country is by no means acceptable. In 2023, in this field, there were 94 cases of

The majority share of this violation of rights belongs to the followers of other religions and beliefs, with Bahais being the most affected, accounting for more than 85% of this violation. Following them are fellow citizens of Sunni, Ahl-e Haq, Dervishes, and Christians, who have been assigned the next ranks.

In what was said, the effort was to address four specific areas in the field of human rights in Iran in 2023. These areas are “right to life (execution)”, “national-minority rights”, “thought and expression”, and “civil and religious liberties” in Iran today. The numbers are bitter and indicative of the current situation in Iran, where we live or consider ourselves a part of. The numbers paint a vivid picture of the existing tragic situation and it seems that the story every year is the same, regretting the previous year…

Iran today, however, is witnessing the turmoil and agitation of its people. Since 1996, the Iranian society has experienced several social uprisings and protest movements. The pot of history and Iranian society is boiling and bubbling. Until the time comes and the result of all these years of effort bears fruit. The train of history is moving and those who violate human rights cannot stand against it. Our duty, however, is to stand for our ideals and advocate for the enforcement and restoration of human rights. The day will come when the times will be better; even if on that day, a plant has grown in the bowl of your eye and mine.

Note:

1- Annual Report on the Human Rights Situation in Iran; Special for 2023, Hrana News Agency, 6 Dey Month 1402.