1. Iran
Points: 1
Areas of human rights violation as identified by HRW: Death penalty and torture, freedom of expression and information; freedom of association and assembly, political prisoners and human rights defenders; women’s rights, treatment of minorities; sexual orientation and gender identity.
Executions
First among 11 worst Asian countries for human rights violation, Iran, executed 694 people only in the first half of 2015, while unofficial estimates claimed that the number of prisoners put to death reached 1.000 by the end of the year. The greatest number of death convicts were drug offenders who were prosecuted under one of the world’s toughest anti-narcotics laws. In Iran, a person caught with more than 5 kg of narcotics derived from opium or more than 30 grams of heroin, morphine, cocaine or their chemical derivatives automatically receives the death penalty. Moreover, 160 children were on death row last year.
Besides drug trafficking, nonviolent offenses such as “insulting the Prophet,” apostasy, same-sex relations, adultery are also punishable by death. In 2013, a Facebook user was arrested and sentenced to death under the charge of anti-government propaganda and “insulting what is sacred”. The sentence was changed to seven and half years in prison, during which he will have to read religious books, write summaries on them and maintain correspondence with the Imam Khomeini Centre for Religious Research.
Media freedom
In 2015, dozens of journalists ended up behind bars in Iran under vague charges such as “propaganda against the state”. Beginning of 2016 and approaching elections brought a new wave of harassment for media workers. Four journalists were arrested; several were interrogated while one daily newspaper was banned. According to Reporters without Borders, 37 journalists and citizen-journalists are currently detained in Iran.
Women’s rights
Women are often targets of severe violence. Female population faces daily discrimination in regards to marital status, child custody and inheritance. In addition, forced and child marriage remains one of the main issues. Around 17 percent of girls are married before 18, since the law sets legal age for marriage at 13 years for girls, and 15 years for boys. Although child brides are often victims of violence and sexual abuse, they do not enjoy any legal protection. Instead, they end up being prosecuted and sentenced in courts for trying to defend themselves. In 2010, the 17-year old girl was sentenced to death because she killed her abusive husband whom she was forced to marry when she was only 14 years old.
