UN and rights reports highlight rising executions in Iran and Afghan femicides

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has warned against a sharp increase in executions in Iran since March, stating that capital punishment is used to "instill fear in the population and suppress dissent." According to UN figures, at least 56 people have been executed since mid-March, primarily on drug-related and political charges.

Concurrently, an investigation into 231 femicide cases in Afghanistan reveals a surge in unpunished violence against women under Taliban rule. Reports indicate that the abolition of the Afghan attorney general's office in 2023 left the country without state tracking mechanisms for gender-based killings, enabling perpetrators to act with impunity.

Sources: Diário de Notícias (DN), RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)