© Unsplash/M. Amirahmadi The capital of Iran is Tehran. UN chief human rights activist: the death penalty in Iran serves as a tool to intimidate the population Human rights
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed deep concern about the sharp increase in the number of executions and death sentences in Iran. According to Volker Türk, capital punishment is used in this country to intimidate the population and suppress dissent. The High Commissioner called on Iranian authorities to suspend executions and move towards abolition.
Massive civil protests began in Iran at the end of 2025 amid an economic crisis and soaring inflation. During the crackdown on protests, thousands of people died or were detained. In addition, the Internet did not work in the country for several months.
Last month, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission to Iran called on Iranian authorities to stop the execution of ten men involved in protests in Isfahan this year and strongly condemned the July 19 execution of two others in the same case. national security charges, including 27 people in cases related to protests earlier in the year. More than a hundred others are facing execution on similar charges. In addition, the death penalty is widely used against those accused of drug-related crimes.
Confessions were reportedly obtained under torture in some cases. Türk also pointed to serious violations of due process, including unfair trials and death sentences resulting from brief closed sessions. “The lack of a fair trial and due process guarantees is deeply troubling,” the High Commissioner said, highlighting that some sentences were reportedly carried out just weeks after arrest. In one case, 12 defendants were sentenced to death after a single three-hour closed session.
“The death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and undermines human dignity,” Turk said. “Such punishment has no place in our world.”