UN warns of rising executions in Iran and unchecked femicides in Afghanistan

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has voiced grave concerns over a sharp escalation in executions in Iran, where at least 56 people have been put to death since mid-March. Türk stated that capital punishment is used to "instill fear in the population and suppress dissent." Individual cases, such as the execution of 24-year-old Marzieh Neyri after defending herself against sexual harassment, highlight strict legal obstacles where proving assault requires four male witnesses.

Concurrently, an investigation examining 231 femicides in Afghanistan exposes widespread impunity under Taliban rule. Tracking of gender-based violence ceased following the 2023 dissolution of the attorney general's office, leaving perpetrators unpunished and state records silent on domestic violence fatalities.

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