UN rights expert: Iran continues to execute child offenders News
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UN rights expert: Iran continues to execute child offenders

A UN representative reported to the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee on Wednesday that Iran executed seven children in 2018 and two so far this year. Javaid Rehman stated to the committee that he remained “concerned about the continued use of the death penalty” in Iran.

While the execution rate has dropped in Iran from over 500 in 2017, it is still among the highest in the world. Among people of all ages, more than 250 people were executed in 2018. The UN reported earlier this year that it has information suggesting that dozens more children are currently on death row.

Incarceration as a whole has remains a problem in Iran, according to Rehman. Both men and women protesting compulsory veiling laws have been detained “for their peaceful exercise of their human rights.” The large majority of those in detention for protesting these laws have been charged with posing a national security risk.

Rehman cautioned that this pattern demonstrates “an increased targeting of women mobilizing to claim their rights.” Despite certain moves by Iran to provide allowances for certain actions of women, such as attending sporting events, the report states that discrimination is still highly prevalent.