On May 7, The Guardian reported that the Norway-based Iranian Human Rights NGO (IHRNGO) stated Iran has executed at least 24 individuals since March, with six of those executions occurring within just two days.
Human rights groups believe this trend is expanding to include those involved in anti-government protests from January and prisoners accused of espionage amid the ongoing conflict involving the U.S. and Israel.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the methods of execution. Families often receive notification only after the executions are carried out, and some have reported being pressured not to speak publicly. Authorities have allegedly withheld the bodies of the executed or conducted executions in undisclosed locations without informing the public.
Specific cases have emerged, including the execution of Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, who was arrested during the 2022 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests. Kurdish prisoners Naser Bakherzadeh and Yagub Karimpoor were reportedly executed on charges of espionage for Israel. In Mashhad, three protesters arrested in connection with the January demonstrations were allegedly hanged in secret locations.
Allegations of torture have also surfaced. The Guardian reported that some prisoners left letters and voice messages claiming they were subjected to physical and psychological torture to extract forced confessions before their executions. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) claimed that prisoners were moved to separate facilities and solitary confinement before execution, with families unable to retrieve the bodies.
The scale of executions is significant. According to data cited by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, at least 1,600 executions were estimated to have taken place in 2025 alone. While most were related to drug offenses or murder, human rights organizations argue that the government is using the chaos of war to expand its crackdown on dissent.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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