The human rights situation in Iran is worsening, a United Nations expert has said, noting concern that ongoing negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program could overshadow abuses.
The UN special rapporteur on Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, hailed "some limited improvements" on the ground in Iran since the 2013 election of President Hassan Rouhani, but warned "the overall situation has worsened".
Speaking to reporters before presenting his latest report on the human rights situation in Iran to the UN Human Rights Council, Shaheed pointed to soaring numbers of executions and the jailing of journalists and activists in the Islamic country.
He also warned that new legislation under discussion risked deepening the problem of discrimination against women and minorities.
According to his report, at least 753 people, including 25 women and 13 minors, were executed in Iran last year alone, marking a 12-year-high.
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Counting the 252 executions in the country since the beginning of this year, Iran has executed more than 1000 people since January 2014, he said.
"Iran continues to execute more individuals per capita than any country in the world," Shaheed said.
That is particularly alarming, he said, considering a majority of all executions in the country are for drug-related offences or other crimes, including adultery, sodomy, and "vaguely worded national security offences".
Shaheed's comments came as Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met his US counterpart John Kerry in nearby Lausanne in a race to hammer out an elusive agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.
"I warmly welcome these efforts, as I share a genuine hope for long-lasting peace and stability with those sitting at the negotiating table," Shaheed said.
But he noted that "there is concern among the Iranian civil society that the nuclear file may be casting a shadow over the human rights discussions".
