▁to ▁Europe ▁if ▁the ▁West ▁continued ▁to ▁critic ize ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁government ▁for ▁its ▁practice ▁of ▁executing ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ers . ▁Lar aj ani ▁stated ▁that ▁ce asing ▁the ▁practice ▁would ▁reduce ▁the ▁overall ▁number ▁of ▁execution s ▁in ▁Iran ▁by ▁ 7 4 ▁percent ▁" but ▁the ▁way ▁will ▁be ▁p aved ▁for ▁the ▁sm ugg ling ▁of ▁n arc ot ics ▁to ▁Europe ." ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Am n esty ▁International ▁stated ▁that ▁Iran ▁was ▁on ▁course ▁for ▁a ▁record ▁year ▁in ▁execution s . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁six ▁months ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁according ▁to ▁Am n esty , ▁Iran ▁had ▁executed ▁ 3 2 0 ▁people , ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁almost ▁two ▁execution s ▁a ▁day . ▁Other ▁human ▁rights ▁groups ▁placed ▁the ▁execution ▁count ▁even ▁higher . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Am n esty ▁International ▁reported ▁that ▁ 6 0 0 ▁people ▁had ▁been ▁executed ▁in ▁Iran ▁through ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁November , ▁with ▁ 4 8 8 ▁of ▁the ▁execution s ▁carried ▁out ▁for ▁alleg ed ▁drug ▁off enses . ▁Am n esty ▁war ned ▁of ▁a ▁" new ▁wave ▁of ▁drug ▁off ense ▁execution s " ▁based ▁on ▁its ▁figures ▁that ▁showed ▁a ▁three fold ▁increase ▁in ▁drug - related ▁execution s ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁The ▁report ▁said ▁that ▁Afghan ▁national s ▁were ▁particularly ▁at ▁risk ▁for ▁drug ▁off ense , ▁with ▁as ▁many ▁as