The Office of the US Special Envoy for Iran has condemned Iran's persistent use of the death penalty as a means to suppress human rights.

Deputy US Special Envoy for Iran Abram Paley highlighted the troubling trend in a statement on Monday, stating that the death penalties were often imposed following what he referred to as "sham trials against defendants who lacked adequate legal counsel."

Paley went on to condemn the Iranian government's record in 2023, emphasizing in his message that the execution of hundreds of citizens reflected a new level of cruelty.

“The Iranian government’s cruelty reached new levels in 2023 with the execution of nearly 800 of its own citizens, many following unfair trials and arbitrary detentions.”

The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) group played a pivotal role in exposing the severity of the situation. Their recent report disclosed a shocking 33-percent increase in executions in Iran last year, with at least 791 individuals put to death. Over one-fifth of those executed belonged to the predominantly Sunni Baluch community, indicating a disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities.

IHRNGO had previously sounded the alarm, warning of a potential surge in drug-related executions. The warning came in response to a statement from an Iranian lawmaker in Lorestan province, revealing that the cases of 1000-2000 drug death-row inmates were in the implementation stage.

The concerning trend of drug-related executions has been on the rise for the past three years, with a staggering 69% increase between January 1 and October 10, 2023, compared to the same period in