Iran executions made faster by new law, lawyer tells FT

A law approved last October has accelerated death penalty proceedings in Iran by giving judges broad powers to interpret espionage and treason cases, an Iranian human rights lawyer was quoted as saying by the Financial Times on Thursday.

“Terms in the [new] law, such as ‘any operational acts’, give judges an almost unlimited scope for interpretation, allowing them to issue death sentences without restriction,” Amir Raesian said.

“As a result, verdicts have become much harsher and proceedings much faster, making executions swift and straightforward,” he added.