UN warns of surging Iranian executions and Afghan femicides

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has voiced grave concern regarding a sharp rise in capital punishment in Iran, reporting at least 56 executions since mid-March. Türk stated that Iranian authorities utilize the death penalty to "instill fear in the population and suppress dissent," with executions primarily targeting political dissidents and drug offenders.

Simultaneously, a recent investigation into 231 femicide cases in Afghanistan exposed systemic impunity for perpetrators under Taliban rule. Following the 2023 dissolution of the attorney general's office, official tracking of violence against women ceased, allowing state institutions to mask the true scale of gender-based homicides.

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