Majles Rep. Pourmokhtar: 3,000 On Iran's Death Row for Drug Trafficking, Drug Executions Hurt Families and Damaged Iran's Image Internationally
Stating that 3000 drug traffickers are awaiting execution, Purmokhtar, member of Majless’ (Parliament) Judicial and Legal Commission added that the reduction in such a sentence will result in a decrease in the negative effects it has on the families of these criminals.
According to a report by Majless TV website, quoting Khane-ye Mellat (Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency), Mohammad Ali Purmokhtar reacted to statements made by the Islamic Republic Police Force’s Head of the Combatting Drugs Police to the effect that the number of trafficked drug cargos has increased following the reduction of the death sentence for drug traffickers, and said: “It is a normal thing for people to adjust to new conditions and use the new provisions when a law is passed and a punishment is accordingly increased or reduced.”
Submitting Reports of the Spread of Drug Addiction among High School Students
Noting the Headquarters for the Fight Against Illicit Drugs’ weak performance, the people of Bahar and Kabudarahang’s representative continued: “Unfortunately, the Headquarters for the Fight Against Illicit Drugs has limited its function to [enforcement] operations through the Police Force, and has done nothing to prevent and decrease the age of drug addicts or come up with incentives to that end. And all the while, the number of drug addicts is on the increase and there are even reports of student drug addiction in schools.”
The Headquarters for the Fight Against Illicit Drugs Should Concentrate its Efforts on reducing the Number of Drug Addicts
He noted: “There are currently 3000 drug traffickers awaiting execution, not to mention that a significant number of individuals have also been executed on drug charges in the past. We convened numerous comprehensive meetings at the Commission to study the effects of this kind of punishment, and the results indicated that this punishment had no effect on reducing the commission of that crime.”
Purmokhtar noted: “Execution of drug traffickers has had many international repercussions [for the country] as well as economic and social consequences for their families.”
Amending the Law for the Fight Against Illicit Drugs Had Positive Results
The people’s representative in the Tenth Majless emphasized: “The Headquarters for the Fight Against Illicit Drugs officials were always opposed to the reduction of the sentence [of death] for drug traffickers [back when we were debating the issue,] and they currently have these baseless claims. We actually asked them to provide us with information and statistics regarding the repercussions of the [new] Law so that we could clarify by what percentage the Law has led to a decrease in the commission of this crime, and how many people have left the cycle of drug trafficking, but they gave us no statistics whatsoever.”
This member of Majless’ Judicial and Legal Commission furthered stressed: “Amending the Law for the Fight Against Illicit Drugs has undoubtedly had positive results [domestically] and has prevented damage to Iran’s prestige in the international arena.”