Iran executed approximately 1,000 prisoners last year, while hundreds of journalists, activists and opposition figures remain in custody according to a United Nations investigator said on Thursday.
UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, emphasized concerns about executions for crimes committed by children under 18, stating that such acts are "strictly and unequivocally prohibited under international law."
"The number of juvenile offenders executed between 2014 and 2015 - which is reportedly 16 - was higher than at any time during the past five years," Shaheed said.
Shaheed observed "staggering surge in the execution of at least 966 prisoners last year - the highest rate in over two decades," in a news briefing.
"A large percentage of those executions are for drug offenses and under Iran's current drug laws, possession of 30 grams of heroine or cocaine would qualify for the death penalty. So there's a number of draconian laws," he said.
Other crimes punished by death sentences in the Islamic Republic include corruption and certain sexual activities, he added.
