The UN condemned Iran after confirming at least 841 executions this year, warning of a state-driven killing spree disproportionately targeting minorities, protesters, and activists.
A chilling report from the UN Human Rights Office has revealed that the Iranian regime executed at least 841 people between January 1 and August 28, 2025, despite repeated international appeals to end its heavy reliance on capital punishment.
The pace of executions has surged dramatically, with 110 people put to death in July alone—double the number from the same period last year. Human rights experts say the wave of executions is being used as a political weapon of intimidation, aimed particularly at ethnic minorities, migrants, and political dissidents.
At least 11 prisoners now face imminent execution, including six accused of belonging to the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) opposition group and five others convicted for participating in the 2022 anti-regime protests. Among them is Sharifeh Mohammadi, a workers’ rights activist whose death sentence was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court on August 16.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights corroborated the UN’s findings, reporting at least 800 executions this year—an average of 100 per month. Their breakdown highlights a disturbing pattern:
- 30 political and ideological prisoners executed
- 22 women executed
- 1 child offender, executed for a crime committed as a minor
- Ethnic minorities heavily targeted: 116 Kurds, 107 Lors, 92 Baloch, 82 Turks
- 46 Afghan nationals also put to death
Human rights groups warn that Iran’s execution machine is escalating into an unprecedented crackdown, deliberately targeting the most vulnerable communities.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk denounced the surge, stressing that the death penalty is “incompatible with the right to life and human dignity” and carries the irreversible risk of killing innocents. He urged Tehran to immediately impose a moratorium on executions as a first step toward total abolition.
International organizations and activists are now calling on democratic governments to step up pressure, warning that silence enables Tehran’s brutal strategy of systematic state killing.
