UN warns of surge in Iranian executions as Afghan femicides go unpunished

United Nations officials and human rights advocates have raised severe concerns over worsening human rights conditions in Iran and Afghanistan.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned of a dramatic surge in Iranian capital punishment, noting that at least 56 people have been executed since mid-March. Türk stated that capital punishment is employed to "instill fear in the population and suppress dissent," predominantly targeting drug charges and political opposition.

Concurrently, a separate investigation examining 231 femicides in Afghanistan revealed systematic impunity for perpetrators under Taliban rule. State institutions ceased tracking gender-based homicides following the 2023 dissolution of the attorney general's office, obscuring official records and leaving perpetrators virtually unpunished.

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