Iran's Rapid Surge in Executions Draws International Criticism

Iran hanged two men for blasphemy, a rare occurrence signaling an alarming spike in executions.
Iran has carried out at least 203 executions since January, putting it on track to match or surpass last year's total of 582 executions, according to human rights groups.
The UN has urged Iran to halt executions immediately and work to abolish the death penalty.
At least 45 executions have taken place in the last two weeks alone, predominantly targeting members of minority groups.
Iran remains the world's second largest executioner behind China according to Amnesty International.