Nearly a year and a half after announcing that Iran would reconsider its frequent execution of drug offenders, Mohammad Javad Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Human Rights Council, is still calling for Iran to lower its execution rate for drug-related crimes.

Speaking to reporters at a May 16 conference titled “Finding the court’s role in protecting the accused,” Larijani couched his concerns in diplomatic terms, saying, “We need to have a [better] method to fight against drugs. It’s possible that execution is not the only path, or that high execution rates do not have a desirable result. We recommend that the legislation … be reconsidered.”

Perhaps more than other officials, Larijani is aware of how Iran’s executions for nonviolent crime reflect on the country. He said enemies of Iran, such as Western countries and Israel, use this issue to portray a negative image of Islam and the Islamic Republic and the problem needs to be “unveiled.”

While China leads the world in state executions, Iran is the leader in per capita executions, with approximately 1,000 executions in 2015. According to UN Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed, 65% were for drug offenses. In previous statements, Larijani had put the percentage of drug-related executions at 80%.