At least 56 people have been executed in Iran on national security-related charges in the past five months, including 27 in cases linked to protests at the start of the year, UN human rights chief Volker Turk has said.
“I am alarmed by the rise in executions and death sentences issued in Iran since March, and that capital punishment continues to be used to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent,” Mr Turk said in a statement on Wednesday.
Iranian authorities killed thousands of people during anti-government protests in January, the country's worst domestic unrest in decades. Rights groups say the government has continued to crack down on opponents during the war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.
Mr Turk said more than 100 people are at risk of execution on similar security-related charges, while executions for drug-related offences continue at an “alarming rate”.
He urged Tehran to halt all executions, move towards abolishing the death penalty, and he expressed concern over what he described as failures to uphold the right to a fair trial and due process.
Iran's diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iranian officials have defended the country's judicial processes and the use of capital punishment as consistent with domestic law and necessary for public security.
On July 28, Iran executed two men arrested during anti-government protests in January, the judiciary said, after crowds reportedly gathered near the execution site in an attempt to stop public hangings before being dispersed by security forces. On July 14, two men allegedly affiliated with an ISIS cell were executed.
The demonstrations sparked by widespread anger over worsening economic conditions – including rising prices, unemployment and declining living standards – expanded into broader demands for political change.
International rights organisations have repeatedly criticised Iran’s use of capital punishment and flogging while calling for greater transparency in judicial proceedings. Amnesty International said Iran executed at least 2,159 people in 2025, more than double the 2024 figure.
