The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, has voiced deep concern over a sharp increase in executions in Iran, describing them as a tool used to silence dissent and instil fear.
Since 19 March, at least 56 people have been executed on national‑security charges, 27 of whom are linked to the protests that swept the country in January. More than 100 others are also under threat of execution, with the death penalty also being applied to drug‑related offences at alarming rates.
According to Amnesty International, Iran carried out 2 159 executions last year, the highest figure recorded since 1981. The group highlighted that 45 of these were suspected dissidents charged with national security crimes.
Türk urged Iranian authorities to halt all executions and move toward the abolition of the death penalty, condemning the lack of fair trial and due‑process guarantees, the use of torture‑derived confessions, and the practice of carrying out executions in public or after very short court hearings.
Some executions were reportedly carried out weeks after arrest, with 12 defendants sentenced to death in a single three‑hour closed‑door hearing. Human rights experts argue that such procedures violate established fair‑trial standards.
Iran’s judiciary announced the execution of two men accused of spying for Israel on Monday, while a 19‑year‑old named Arvin Kheirkhahan was executed the previous week for alleged involvement in January unrest. Arrested protestors, including Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi, were also publicly executed in Isfahan.
Türk’s statement calls for immediate action to end the executions, citing that such punishment has no place in a world that strives for justice and human dignity. The Iranian government has yet to provide a public response to these accusations.
The rising number of executions raises urgent concerns for the international community and highlights the inter‑linked nature of human rights and sustainable governance, emphasizing the need for transparency, accountability, and respect for life in all societies.
