Simin Sabri: The Increase in Executions Erodes Human Dignity and Normalizes Violence

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, August 28, 2024

Simin Sabri

According to information released by human rights organizations, the Islamic Republic of Iran has executed approximately 100 prisoners in August. In Tabriz alone, at least 13 prisoners were hanged in August.

Political activist and psychiatrist Simin Sabri discussed the destructive impact of executions on Iranian society in an interview with Voice of America. Sabri highlighted the role of executions in normalizing violence within society.

"Why do executions increase at times, decrease at others, and sometimes even stop for a short period? I think this is related to the internal and external crises of the regime. Especially after the Ismail Haniya incident, we are facing a regime that has lost its power, weakened, and even had its legitimacy questioned... I believe the regime wants to remind the nation through executions that its power is still intact, that despite its disgrace abroad, it has not lost its strength or dominance in the eyes of its people," said Simin Sabri.

Simin Sabri drew attention to the fact that in Iran, political opponents are executed alongside those convicted of crimes like murder and smuggling, emphasizing that the death penalty does not lead to a reduction in crimes such as murder and smuggling in societies.

"Death penalties applied in various forms around the world have always been claimed to serve as a deterrent, to reduce crimes like murder, theft, and other general offenses. Of course, sometimes political opponents are included in this group. But, let’s examine whether this has actually worked. Has the number of crimes decreased in societies where executions have been implemented for centuries? Take Iran, for example. Sometimes these executions are carried out publicly in the squares, supposedly as lessons for others. If these executions are lessons and people are supposed to learn from them, why haven’t these crimes decreased, and in fact, they have increased? Moreover, there are families, especially children, left behind by those executed."

The psychiatrist believes that the increase in executions normalizes violence and the taking of others' lives in society.

"I think the erosion of human dignity and human existence in this form generally normalizes violence and the act of taking another person's life... For nearly a century now, from the Pahlavis to this regime, violence has been applied in this country, and we must admit that a large majority of the nation does not have deep knowledge about the protection of human rights and human dignity," Simin Sabri added.

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Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Simin Səbri: Edamların çoxalması toplumda insan ləyaqətini aşındırıb və zorakılığı normallaşdırır