Iran - January 2024

On 3 January, the Islamic State (ISIS) carried out a devastating dual bombing at a commemoration ceremony in the city of Kerman, in southeastern Iran. The event was held in honour of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. The attack resulted in nearly 100 deaths and more than 200 injuries, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Iran since the 1979 revolution. In late January, it was revealed that the U.S. had previously warned Iran of a potential ISIS threat, but it is unclear whether these warnings were heeded. Iranian dissidents have suggested the Iranian regime could be involved in the attack as a way to rally support amidst internal discontent. The situation remains tense, with fears of further violence in the country ahead of the legislative elections due in March.

Sources: The New York Times, Iran International, Al Jazeera, The Wall Street Journal

A surge of executions has been reported in Iran. Authorities executed numerous protesters in January, and an additional eleven are awaiting execution. The executed include Mohammad Ghobadlou, a 23-year-old protester with a mental health disability, whose death sentence had been overturned by the Supreme Court in July 2023 (though the Chief Justice later vetoed the retrial). Four Kurdish dissidents were also executed after secretive trials and allegations of torture. The Iranian authorities have refused to return the bodies to their families, inciting a labour strike in Iran’s Kurdish region.

These actions have been condemned by the United Nations, and several national and international rights groups have called on Iranian authorities to halt the planned executions. This increase in executions is part of a broader crackdown on protesters and dissidents in the country. Those targeted have often been subjected to unfair trials, raising serious human rights concerns. Despite international condemnations and efforts to engage with Iran, the execution rate has increased, with over 800 people reportedly executed in 2023, the highest rate per capita in the world.

Sources: Human Rights Watch, TIME, Iran International (1), Amnesty International, United Nations, Iran International (2)