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US Special Envoy: Iran Executed About 800 People in 2023

Iranian opposition protesters raise banners denouncing the death penalty in front of the European Parliament (File photo: EPA)
Iranian opposition protesters raise banners denouncing the death penalty in front of the European Parliament (File photo: EPA)
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US Special Envoy: Iran Executed About 800 People in 2023

Iranian opposition protesters raise banners denouncing the death penalty in front of the European Parliament (File photo: EPA)
Iranian opposition protesters raise banners denouncing the death penalty in front of the European Parliament (File photo: EPA)

The Iranian government executed nearly 800 citizens in 2023, many following unfair trials and arbitrary detentions, US Special Envoy to Iran Abram Paley has announced.

"The Iranian government's cruelty reached new levels in 2023 with the execution of nearly 800 of its citizens, many following unfair trials and arbitrary detentions,” Paley wrote on his X account.

He pointed out that death sentences are often applied after sham trials against defendants who lacked adequate legal counsel.

"The US strongly condemns Iran's use of the death penalty to target the exercise of human rights," he asserted.

Meanwhile, the Iranian opposition launched a campaign to stop the execution of six people facing political and security charges, including four political Kurdish prisoners and two arrested during last year's protests.

Persian-speaking media abroad reported that the families of the six prisoners organized a protest in front of Evin Prison following the approval of the death sentences.

The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Organization appealed to international organizations to intervene to stop the executions.

The Organization's director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, said that like many other prisoners sentenced to death, they did not enjoy the minimum standards of fair procedures.

Amiry-Moghaddam stated that the sentences are illegal even under the laws of Iran.

Last week, Paley condemned the death sentences against the four political prisoners.

"The Iranian regime continues to use false accusations, forced confessions, and unfair trials to silence political opponents and peaceful protestors. We call on Iranian authorities to release all unjustly detained political prisoners and stop repressing their people."

The US official's reference precedes an annual report issued by the Iran Human Rights Organization on the number of executions that were documented over the course of a year.

The Organization, which is responsible for monitoring executions, warned many times last year that a record number of executions would be exceeded.

According to the Organization, the authorities have executed 7,858 people since 2010, including 70 minors and 209 women.

In turn, the Human Rights Activists Agency in Iran (Hrana) said that at least 746 people were executed in Iran during 2023, representing a 32 percent increase compared to 2022.

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Prayers and Tears Mark 20 Years Since the Indian Ocean Tsunami That Killed Some 230,000 People

Acehnese people attend a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami at the Baiturrahman Mosque, an Aceh landmark that survived from the tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 26 December 2024.
Acehnese people attend a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami at the Baiturrahman Mosque, an Aceh landmark that survived from the tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 26 December 2024.
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Prayers and Tears Mark 20 Years Since the Indian Ocean Tsunami That Killed Some 230,000 People

Acehnese people attend a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami at the Baiturrahman Mosque, an Aceh landmark that survived from the tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 26 December 2024.
Acehnese people attend a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami at the Baiturrahman Mosque, an Aceh landmark that survived from the tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 26 December 2024.

People started gathering in prayer on Thursday and visiting the mass graves in Indonesia’s Aceh province to mark 20 years since the massive Indian Ocean tsunami, one of modern history’s worst natural disasters.

Many openly wept as they placed flowers at a mass grave in Ulee Lheue village where more than 14,000 unidentified and unclaimed tsunami victims are buried. It is one of several mass graves in Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s northernmost province. It was one of the areas worst-hit by the earthquake and tsunami, along with the district of Aceh Besar.

"We miss them and we still don’t know where they are. All we know is that every year we visit the mass grave in Ulee Lhue and Siron," said Muhamad Amirudin, 54, who lost two of his children 20 years ago and has never found their bodies.

"This life is only temporary, so we do our best to be useful to others," Amirudin, visiting the grave with his wife, said.

A powerful 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami that killed around 230,000 people across a dozen countries, reaching as far as East Africa. Some 1.7 million people were displaced, mostly in the four worst-affected countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.

More than 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone.

A relative of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami offers flowers during its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP)

Even though 20 years have passed, survivors are still grieving the loved ones they lost to the giant wave that flattened buildings all the way to the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

Thousands of people gathered to pray at the Baiturrahman Mosque in downtown Banda Aceh. Sirens sounded across the city for three minutes to mark the time of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami.

The infrastructure in Aceh has been rebuilt and is now more resilient than it was before the tsunami struck. Early warning systems have been installed in coastal areas to alert residents of potential tsunamis, providing crucial time to seek safety.

The rebuilding efforts were made possible by the support of international donors and organizations, who contributed significant funds to help the region recover. Schools, hospitals, and essential infrastructure that were destroyed by the disaster have been reconstructed with enhanced strength and durability, ensuring better preparedness for future challenges.

A relative of victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami stands at Ban Nam Khem beach, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP)

In Thailand, people gathered at a memorial ceremony in Ban Nam Khem, a small fishing village in Phang Nga province that bore the brunt of the devastating waves.

The tsunami also claimed the lives of over 8,000 people in Thailand, including many who remain missing, leaving a deep scar on the nation’s history. Nearly 400 bodies remain unclaimed.

Mourners shed tears and comforted each other as they laid flowers at the village’s tsunami memorial. Around 300 people joined a modest ceremony with Muslim, Christian and Buddhist and prayers.

Urai Sirisuk said she avoids the seaside memorial park the rest of the year, because the loss of her 4-year-old daughter still cuts deep every time she's reminded of it.

"I have this feeling that the sea has taken my child. I’m very angry with it. I can’t even put my foot in the water," she said.

But, she said, "I still hear her voice in my ears, that she’s calling for me. I can’t abandon her. So I have to be here, for my child."