An alarming escalation in capital punishment in Iran is drawing intense international condemnation, as human rights organizations report a record-setting pace of executions and a surge in death sentences against political prisoners and minorities. The recent hanging of two opposition group members on sunday highlights a trend that observers fear could lead to a massive human rights crisis.
On july 27, 2025, Iranian authorities executed Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani-Eslamloo, two members of the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK). The judiciary convicted them on charges of "moharebeh" (waging war against God), destruction of public property, and membership in a terrorist organization for allegedly attacking infrastructure with homemade projectiles. The trial was condemned by Amnesty International as "grossly unfair," citing credible allegations that the men were subjected to torture and denied access to legal counsel.
These executions are part of a brutal and accelerating pattern. According to reports from human rights groups, Iran carried out at least 612 executions in the first half of 2025 alone, with 98 people killed in the month of june. This follows a year in which Iran executed at least 975 people, a 17% increase from 2023 and the highest number recorded since 2008. The figures for 2024 included at least 31 women, many of whom were convicted for murdering male partners in what were reported to be contexts of domestic abuse.
Human rights organizations like Iran Human Rights have raised alarms that the Iranian judiciary is increasingly using politically motivated death sentences to suppress dissent, particularly targeting ethnic minorities like the Baluch and Kurds. These groups criticize a system plagued by a lack of judicial independence, where fabricated cases and forced confessions obtained through torture are used to serve sectarian and ethnic objectives.
The situation has been further inflamed by external events. Following Israeli missile strikes on Tehran's Evin Prison in june, which killed at least 71 prisoners and staff, survivors reported being transferred to prisons with deplorable conditions. The incident has fueled fears of an even harsher crackdown and the potential for mass executions within the prison system.
The escalating use of the death penalty is resonating on the international political stage. In the United States, lawmakers including senator Pete Ricketts have urged European allies to take a harder line against Iran in ongoing nuclear negotiations. They are calling for the re-imposition of UN sanctions in response to what they describe as Iran's threatening tactics and its abysmal human rights record. Talks involving representatives from France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are currently underway to address the future of Iran's nuclear program, with Iran's internal repression now a significant factor in the discussions.
As the number of executions continues to climb, policymakers and international observers are emphasizing the urgent need for a coordinated global response. With warnings of a potential repeat of past large-scale tragedies, the international community is under pressure to act before the current human rights crisis deteriorates further.