In the first half of 2023, at least 354 people, including six women, have been executed in Iran.

The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) said Monday that Baluch minorities accounted for 20% of all executions. The number of drug-related executions rose 126% from the same period last year to reach 206.

As the Islamic Republic of Iran's execution machine accelerates, IHRNGO once again called on UN Member States to take action against the state's killings of death row prisoners, especially those funding joint projects with the regime.

“The death penalty is used to create societal fear and prevent more protests. The majority of those killed are low-cost victims of the killing machine, drug defendants who are from the most marginalised communities," the group's director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, said.

With many cases of executions not officially reported, the actual number is undoubtedly higher.

Earlier, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Organization said Iran executed 142 prisoners in May, hitting a dark record even for the Islamic Republic and the highest monthly executions since 2015, averaging five people hanged each day.

As the execution wave shows no signs of slowing, protests continue across the country, only fueled by the relentless crackdowns.