ged ▁Iran , ▁time ▁and ▁time ▁again , ▁to ▁halt ▁execution s ... ▁I ▁am ▁very ▁dis may ed ▁that ▁instead ▁of ▁he eding ▁our ▁calls , ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁authorities ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁stepped ▁up ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ... ▁I ▁call ▁upon ▁Iran ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁mor ator ium ▁on ▁execution s ▁with ▁a ▁view ▁to ▁abol ishing ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ." ▁Iran ' s ▁foreign ▁min istry ▁sp okes man ▁Ram in ▁Me h man par ast ▁bl asted ▁the ▁West ▁for ▁condem ning ▁Iran ' s ▁execution s . ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁ 8 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁those ▁h anged ▁were ▁drug ▁sm ug gl ers ▁and ▁stated , ▁" If ▁Iran ▁does ▁not ▁combat ▁dru gs , ▁Europe ▁and ▁the ▁West ▁will ▁be ▁hurt ." ▁ ▁Iran ian ▁opposition ▁leaders ▁Mir - H os sein ▁M ous avi ▁and ▁Me h di ▁K arr ub i , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁comment ators ▁assert ed ▁that ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁regime ▁has ▁stepped ▁up ▁execution s ▁in ▁a ▁bid ▁to ▁int im id ate ▁and ▁silence ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁opposition ▁from ▁taking ▁to ▁the ▁streets ▁like ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0 ▁Iran ian ▁election ▁protest s . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Moh amm ad ▁J av ad ▁Lar ij ani , ▁head ▁of ▁Iran ' s ▁High ▁Council ▁for ▁Human ▁Rights , ▁threatened ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁trans it ▁of ▁illegal ▁dru gs ▁through ▁Iran ian ▁territory