Overview
- The United Nations announced on Wednesday that since March 19 at least 56 people have been executed on national security-related charges, with 27 of those cases tied to the January protest movement.
- Mostafa Tajzadeh, writing from Evin Prison on August 3, called for an immediate halt to executions and for independent fact-finding and legal access for detainees.
- The UN reported specific due-process failures, saying some confessions appear to have been obtained under torture, several executions happened weeks after arrest, and 12 defendants were sentenced to death after a single three-hour closed-door hearing.
- Iranian judicial and security officials have defended the use of capital punishment as lawful and necessary for public security while rights groups report far higher execution totals for 2026 when drug and other cases are included.
- The rights office warned that the executions are being used to suppress dissent and urged Tehran to stop all executions and move toward abolition, noting that more than 100 people remain at risk and that the situation could deepen domestic unrest.