Iran has reportedly executed at least 500 people so far this year, averaging three executions per day, reported Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) on Thursday. Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Iranian authorities to stop the execution spree, with at least 113 executions reported in May alone.
This series of executions reflects the Iranian government’s repression of dissent and harsh anti-drug policies that disproportionately impact marginalized communities, particularly women. Federico Borello, interim executive director of HRW, condemned the actions and said: “The international community should stand up for their human dignity and show solidarity with their courageous resistance to the Iranian authorities’ relentless assault on the right to life.”
Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) specifies that the death penalty should only be applied in cases of the most serious crimes, such as intentional killing, with certain exceptions. To protect the right to life, the law explicitly excludes drug-related and political crimes.
It has been reported that Iranian authorities had executed 478 people in 2025, and this is a 75 percent increase in executions in the first four months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. It is predicted that over 1,000 people, including ethnic minorities, political dissidents, and individuals accused of drug-related offenses, are likely to be executed before the end of this year if this execution spree continues.
IHRNGO also reported that in murder cases, the families of defendants are required to choose between a death sentence and payment of “diya,” also known as “blood money.” The Judiciary can change the indicative amount of diya every year. IHRNGO also noted there are cases where defendants are executed because they cannot afford to pay the blood money.
Individuals accused of national security offenses, including political prisoners, face an immediate risk of execution following the Supreme Court of Iran’s rejection of judicial review and the upholding of the Revolutionary Court’s decisions. HRW commented, “Trials before Iran’s revolutionary courts systematically fail to adhere to fair trial and due process guarantees.” The death sentences issued by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court included broadly defined charges such as “armed rebellion,” “enmity against God,” and “corruption on earth” related to alleged affiliation with an outlawed opposition group.
Death row prisoners are protesting against the wave of executions and are publicly pleading for international intervention every Tuesday as part of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign since January 2024. The campaign has gained support from several human rights defenders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.
Iran has intensified the use of executions as a tool of political oppression despite the 2022 uprising, followed by the “Women Life Freedom” movement throughout 2023. Although a majority of countries still used the death penalty back in the early 1960s, the adoption of the ICCPR had already begun moves for its abolition in international law.
