The former SNP leader discussed the issue with a senior Iranian government official while leading a delegation to the country before Christmas.

Figures published by Amnesty International last year showed that in the first six months of 2015, Iran executed 694 people - a rate of more than three a day.

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The vast majority of death sentences are handed down for drug trafficking, and Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Jafad Zarif told Mr Salmond that his country wanted to explore "alternative" punishments for the crime and was keen to discuss it with Europe.

In an interview with The House magazine , Mr Salmond said: "His logic was that 85% of capital punishment in Iran is drug trafficking. He said there’s nothing in Sharia Law that says we must have capital punishment for these offences. Therefore, he said they are willing to have an open dialogue on alternative deterrents, bearing in mind it’s in the interests of Europe not to have an acceleration of the drug trade through Iran into Europe."

The former Scottish First Minister, now the SNP foreign affairs spokesman, said he was “instigating” talks on the subject between Iran and the Council of Europe through his membership of its parliamentary assembly.

Although the Iranians are initially looking at ending the death penalty for drug trafficking, SNP sources say it could then be scrapped altogether as the country seeks to improve its relations with the West.

Sanctions ​against Iran have already been partially lifted after the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.

“I raised [the death penalty] with the secretary general of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and they are extremely interested," said Mr Salmond. "It’s up to the Iranians who they want to engage with, whether it’s the Council of Europe or the European Union.

“If it can be facilitated it would be a great step forward. It’s up to Europe to reciprocate and to do it in a proper, adult grown-up fashion. It would be a great step forward as Iran is re-integrated into the international community, with all the positive benefits that brings, and is a vindication of the nuclear dialogue."