"In a report published on August 7, 2015, Christophe Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, highlighted the vulnerable position of non-nationals enmeshed in the legal systems of nations where they are not citizens. He cited Iran, where at least 1,200 Afghan citizens are facing the death penalty for drug crimes, as a particularly egregious example.
“Though nobody is suggesting that foreign nationals should be exempted from the law, they are often in a particularly vulnerable position and have little or no defense against the law enforcement systems of the countries where they find themselves. This is particularly the case with migrant workers,” said Heyns. The foreign nationals who end up facing the death penalty abroad are often among the most vulnerable, and can find themselves exploited or scapegoated in some legal systems. Proceedings in which, for example, the defendant has not been provided with an interpreter or with legal representation as required, cannot be considered as fair, said the Special Rapporteur."
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