Human Rights Watch called on Iran to immediately halt execution for drug-related offenses

Almaty. July 20. Silkroadnews – International human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW)) called on Iran to immediately halt execution for drug-related offenses, Silkroadnews news agency reports.
“The Iranian government should immediately halt all executions for drug-related offenses while parliament debates amendments to reform the country’s drug law. Parliament is expected to vote in two weeks on an amendment to the drug law that would drastically increase the bar for a mandatory death penalty sentence”, HRW said.
“It makes no sense for Iran’s judiciary to execute people now under a drug law that will likely bar such executions as early as next month. It would be the height of cruelty to execute someone today for a crime that would at worst get them a 30-year sentence when this law is amended”, Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch said.
It was reported that on July 16, 2017, the parliament approved a proposal to amend the 1997 Iranian law on to combat drugs to limit the death penalty for some non-violent crimes related to drugs. However, the parliament sent the draft law back to the parliamentary judiciary commission for the fourth time to discuss the proposed changes for some offenses.
According to HRW, storage of even a small amount of drugs is punishable by death in Iran.
“Under Iran’s current drug law, at least 10 offenses, including some that are nonviolent, are punishable by death, including possession of as little as 30 grams of synthetic drugs such as methamphetamines. The law also mandates the death penalty for trafficking, possession, or trade of more than five kilograms of opium or 30 grams of heroin; repeated offenses involving smaller amounts; or the manufacture of more than 50 grams of synthetic drugs”, report says.
It is also reported that “in 2016, Iran executed at least 567 people, the majority for drug-related convictions. In December 2016, 5,000 people were on Iran’s death row for drug-related offenses. At least 39 people have been executed since July 5 on drug-related charges”.
At the same time, it is stressed that, according to the UN, drug crimes are not among the most serious.
“Under article 6(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran has ratified, countries that still retain capital punishment may apply the death penalty only for the “most serious crimes.” The United Nations Human Rights Committee, the independent expert body that interprets the covenant, has said that drug offenses are not among the “most serious crimes,” and that the use of the death penalty for such crimes violates international law”, the report said.