Representatives of more that 50 countries will meet in Vienna shortly to determine the level of international support that Iran receives for its continuing war on drugs. This comes amid concern about the increasing number of executions for drug-related offences in Iran. Six more people were recently hanged in the city of Kermanshah – executions that a senior figure in the judiciary described as "one of the triumphs of Iran". As part of the counter-narcotics programme, Iran receives a constant flow of technical support from the UK, the US and other western governments, either directly or through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Last month, Yury Fedotov, head of the UNODC, said he would "encourage the international community to bolster counter-narcotics" efforts in Iran, Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. However, he made no mention of the consequences of supporting the current Iranian government in this way.
