UN Human‑Rights Chief Alarmed by Rising Iran Executions

Volker Türk, UN human rights chief, has expressed deep alarm over the latest spike in the use of capital punishment in Iran, noting that executions are now being used to "instil fear among the population and suppress dissent."

Since 19 March, at least 56 people have been executed on national security‑related charges, including 27 linked to January's nationwide anti‑government protests. Over 100 others face the same death threat, and drug‑related executions continue at an alarming rate according to the UN.

Amnesty International reports Iran executed a record 2,159 people last year, the highest figure on record since 1981, and the second‑most prolific death row nation after China.

Ü Türk urged Iranian authorities to halt all executions and move toward abolition of the death penalty, citing "no place in our world" for such punishment. He warned that the lack of fair‑trial guarantees was deeply troubling, with confessions obtained under torture and other ill‑treatment. He cited cases of executions occurring only weeks after arrest, closed‑door hearings lasting three hours, and dozens of death sentences handed out in single, closed‑court sessions.

While the Iranian government has not commented, it previously defended the use of the death penalty as limited to the most severe crimes. On Monday, the judiciary announced executions of two men convicted of spying for Israel. Later, a 19‑year‑old was executed after a charge of "enmity against God" linked to January unrest, and additional men were stabbed to death in public squares. These actions have drawn criticism from UN experts for violating established fair‑trial standards.