NEWS CENTRE - The Iran Human Rights Society (Iran HRS) stated that the Iranian regime is attempting to maintain a climate of fear through executions, saying, “Instructions were given to prosecutors to accelerate death sentences in order to keep society in a state of shock and prevent new uprisings.”

 

Executions continue uninterrupted in Iran. While official figures are not disclosed, Iran is believed to be the country with the second-highest number of executions in the world after China, with 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 marking the years with the highest number of executions. Following the rise of Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father Ali Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader, executions increased dramatically.

 

Meanwhile, public opposition to executions continues to grow. Peace Mothers in Rojhilat (East Kurdistan, Iran) have called for an end to death sentences, while the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) has been protesting the executions through various actions and events.

 

The Iran Human Rights Society (Iran HRS), which works on documenting these issues, spoke to our agency about executions and judicial violations in Iran.

 

‘HEAD OF THE JUDICIARY ORDERED: ACCELERATE EXECUTIONS’

 

Referring to the data they collected through extensive coordination with victims’ families and close contacts, Iran HRS stated that more than 3,000 citizens were killed during the latest nationwide protests. The organization noted that it had identified 2,570 of those killed and that documentation efforts are ongoing. Iran HRS also stressed that tens of thousands of people were detained during this process, highlighting arbitrary arrests, denial of fair trial rights, lack of access to lawyers, blocked communication with families, and forced confessions under torture.

 

Iran HRS reported that 19-year-old Mohammad Amin Biglari, who had been held in detention for a long period, was arrested on 8 January 2026. His father searched for him for three months before learning by chance that he was being held in Ghezel Hesar Prison. Iran HRS stated that Mohammad Amin was executed on 5 April 2026. The organization said, “An execution carried out in such a short period eliminates any possibility of appeal or defense. He was forced to confess under torture and was executed without being granted a final visit with his family.”

 

According to Iran HRS, at least 23 political prisoners have been executed since 19 March. The names of those executed within one week, according to the organization’s data, are: “Amirhossein Hatami (18), Shahin Vahedparast (19), Ali Fahim (26), mathematician Vahid Bani-Amerian, electrical engineer Pouya Ghobadi, lawyer Babak Alipour, graphic engineer Mohammad Taghvi, civil engineer Akbar Daneshvarkar, architect Abolhasan Montazer, civil engineer Hamed Validi and worker Mohammad Masoum-Shahi.”

 

Iran HRS stated: “Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i instructed prosecutors to accelerate death sentences in order to keep society in shock and prevent new uprisings.”

 

‘THE REAL NUMBER IS MUCH HIGHER’

 

Iran HRS also stated that it documented mass detentions in secret centers, denial of communication with families, and systematic torture during the protests that began in Tehran on 28 December 2025. The organization emphasized that internet restrictions were imposed for nearly two months in order to obstruct documentation efforts.

 

Iran HRS said: “Many of those detained in January 2026 are still being held in isolation in Ghezel Hesar Prison. Due to internet shutdowns, it is difficult to reach precise figures. However, according to data from the field, more than 50,000 people were detained during and after the January protests. We documented some of them by name, but the real number is much higher. The lack of transparency in judicial proceedings also makes it difficult to distinguish between ‘political’ and ‘ordinary’ detainees.”

 

‘A CLIMATE OF FEAR IS MAINTAINED THROUGH EXECUTIONS’

 

Iran HRS stated that the regime is trying to create a climate of fear through death sentences and is particularly targeting young people in this regard. The organization warned that the international community’s focus on regional conflicts increases the risk of further human rights violations inside Iran. Iran HRS also stated that prisoners are being treated as hostages and that families are prevented from speaking to the media.

 

“The regime portrays every protest as ‘foreign-backed’ in order to legitimize repression. Silence stems from geopolitical complexities and limited information flow. However, one of the main reasons is also the policy of appeasement,” the organization said.

 

‘FORCE THE REGIME TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE’

 

Iran HRS stressed that independent documentation efforts must be strengthened and that the approach of maintaining normal relations with the regime should end.

 

The organization made the following call: “European governments must tie all negotiations and trade relations to concrete human rights improvements, especially the abolition of the death penalty. Force the regime to be held accountable. Close embassies that function as centers of terrorism and fundamentalism. Blacklist the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) as a core terrorist organization.”

 

MA / Ceylan Sahinli