The human rights landscape in Iran is facing a severe crisis. A surge in executions has prompted international concern. This article delves into Amnesty International’s urgent appeal for UN member states to address Iran’s shocking execution spree. With over 1,000 executions already carried out in 2025, the situation demands immediate attention. The Iranian authorities are increasingly using the death penalty as a tool to instill fear, crush dissent, and punish marginalized communities following the Woman Life Freedom uprising of 2022. This article covers the key findings of Amnesty International and calls for immediate action. It also covers background information on the situation, including the disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities.
Alarming Execution Rate in Iran
Amnesty International reports a horrifying surge in executions in Iran. More than 1,000 people have been executed since the beginning of 2025, averaging four per day. This unprecedented rate raises serious concerns about the country’s human rights record. The organization points out that such a scale of executions has not been witnessed in Iran since 1989, marking a grim milestone in the nation’s history.
Hussein Baoumi, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, emphasized the urgent need for UN member states to confront this issue. The increasing use of the death penalty as a tool to instill fear and suppress dissent is a worrying trend that requires immediate attention and action from the international community.
Weaponizing the Death Penalty
Since the Woman Life Freedom uprising of 2022, Iranian authorities have been increasingly weaponizing the death penalty. They use it to instill fear among the population, crush dissent, and punish marginalized communities. Amnesty International’s report highlights this disturbing trend, emphasizing how the death penalty is being exploited to suppress opposition and maintain control.
The use of capital punishment as a political tool raises serious concerns about human rights violations and the erosion of justice within the country. It also highlights the need for international scrutiny and intervention to ensure the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms in Iran.
Unfair Trials and Torture
Amnesty International’s report exposes the disturbing reality of unfair trials and widespread torture in Iran’s legal system. Executions are often carried out following grossly unfair trials held behind closed doors. There are widespread reports of torture and forced ‘confessions.’ This egregious violation of due process and human rights raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of the convictions and the fairness of the justice system.
The use of torture to extract confessions undermines the integrity of the legal process. It highlights the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and adherence to international standards of fair trial and human rights in Iran.
Call for International Response
Amnesty International calls on all UN member states to urgently speak up against Iran’s execution spree. They urge strong oral statements during the upcoming Third Committee Interactive Dialogue on Iran. The organization emphasizes the need for states to demand that Iranian authorities immediately halt all executions, quash death sentences imposed after unfair trials, revoke lethal anti-narcotic laws, and establish an official moratorium with a view to fully abolishing the death penalty.
Furthermore, Amnesty International urges the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) to pressure Iranian authorities. The pressure is to reform their drug control policies in a way that respects human rights. These calls underscore the importance of a coordinated international response to address human rights violations in Iran and ensure accountability for perpetrators.
Systemic Impunity and Accountability
Given the systemic impunity prevailing in Iran for serious human rights violations, Amnesty International urges states to pursue accountability measures. The organization advocates for initiating criminal investigations under universal jurisdiction into torture and other crimes under international law committed in Iran. This includes issuing arrest warrants for officials against whom there is evidence of criminal responsibility.
Addressing systemic impunity is essential to ensure that perpetrators of human rights abuses are held accountable for their actions. It also serves as a deterrent against future violations and promotes justice and the rule of law in Iran.</n
Background on Executions in Iran
Thousands of people in Iran are at risk of execution, including those sentenced for drug-related offenses. These sentences violate international law, which restricts the use of the death penalty to only ‘the most serious crimes’ involving intentional killing. Others are sentenced to death on vaguely defined charges such as “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth” in politically motivated cases.
Executions in Iran consistently follow grossly unfair trials, including before Revolutionary Courts, which lack independence and collude with security and intelligence forces to sentence people to death. Oppressed ethnic minorities and communities from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, including Afghans, Ahwazi Arabs, Baluchis, and Kurds, are disproportionately impacted by executions, highlighting systemic discrimination within the legal system.
Amnesty International’s Stance on the Death Penalty
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of who is accused, the nature or circumstances of the crime, guilt or innocence, or the method of execution. The death penalty violates the most fundamental human right – the right to life. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment. This unwavering stance reflects the organization’s commitment to upholding human dignity and advocating for the abolition of capital punishment worldwide.
Conclusion
The surge in executions in Iran demands immediate international attention and action. Amnesty International’s report highlights the urgent need for UN member states to address the shocking human rights situation. The organization calls for an end to executions, fair trials, and accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses.
The international community must stand in solidarity with the people of Iran in their pursuit of justice, freedom, and human rights. By working together, we can create a world where the death penalty is abolished, and the dignity and rights of all individuals are respected and protected.
Leave a Reply