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Iran’s Escalating Execution Crisis: A Call for Urgent International Action
as the United Nations prepares to address the human rights situation in iran - with the Secretary-General’s report due on October 16th, 2025, adn briefings from the Special Rapporteur and Autonomous Fact-Finding Mission scheduled for the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on October 30th, 2025 – Amnesty International has issued a stark warning: Iran is experiencing an execution crisis of unprecedented scale.
Since the beginning of 2025, over 1,000 individuals have been put to death in Iran, averaging a horrifying four executions per day. This surge represents a dramatic escalation, reaching levels not witnessed since the mass executions of 1989, and signals a deliberate strategy by Iranian authorities to instill fear and suppress dissent. Amnesty International, with decades of experience documenting human rights abuses globally and specifically within Iran, views this as a deeply alarming trend demanding immediate and robust international response.
Weaponizing the Death Penalty: A Systemic Assault on Human Rights
The escalating use of the death penalty is inextricably linked to the aftermath of the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising. The Iranian government is demonstrably utilizing capital punishment as a tool to crush opposition, punish marginalized communities, and maintain control through intimidation. this isn’t simply a matter of legal procedure; it’s a calculated political tactic.
Amnesty International’s extensive research reveals a deeply flawed justice system underpinning these executions. Key concerns include:
* Drug-related Offences: A disproportionately high number of executions are carried out for crimes related to drug possession and trafficking,a clear violation of international law which reserves the death penalty for the “most serious crimes” – generally understood to involve intentional killing.
* Unfair Trials: Executions consistently follow trials marred by fundamental due process violations. These trials are frequently enough conducted behind closed doors by Revolutionary Courts, notorious for their lack of independence and close collaboration with security and intelligence agencies.
* Torture and Forced confessions: Widespread reports detail the routine use of torture and coercion to extract “confessions” used as evidence in these trials, rendering any semblance of a fair hearing meaningless.
* Disproportionate impact: Oppressed ethnic minorities – including Afghans, Ahwazi Arabs, Baluchis, and Kurds – and individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are significantly overrepresented among those sentenced to death, highlighting systemic discrimination within the Iranian legal system.
* Vaguely Defined Charges: Individuals are frequently sentenced to death on broadly worded charges like “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth,” frequently enough in cases with clear political motivations.
A Grim Moment Demands a Coordinated Response
“Even by Iran’s own bleak record, this is a grim moment that demands a serious and coordinated international response,” states hussein Baoumi, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. “For years, Iranian authorities have attempted to normalize these executions, but this grotesque assault on the right to life cannot be treated as business as usual.”
Amnesty International is calling on all UN member states to take concrete action, including:
* Strong Public Statements: Deliver robust oral statements during the upcoming Third Committee Interactive Dialog on Iran, unequivocally condemning the escalating execution rate.
* demand an Immediate Halt to Executions: Urge the Iranian authorities to immediately cease all executions and quash death sentences imposed following unfair trials.
* Revoke Anti-Narcotic Laws: Call for the repeal of draconian anti-narcotic laws that facilitate the widespread use of the death penalty for non-violent drug offenses.
* Establish a Moratorium: Advocate for an official moratorium on all executions, with the ultimate goal of full abolition of the death penalty.
* Pressure from UN Agencies: Encourage the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) to exert pressure on Iran to reform its drug control policies in line with international human rights standards.
* Pursue Accountability: Initiate criminal investigations under the principle of universal jurisdiction into allegations of torture and other crimes under international law committed in Iran, paving the way for arrest warrants for responsible officials.
Amnesty International’s Firm Stance: Abolition of the Death Penalty
Amnesty International unequivocally opposes the death penalty in all cases, without exception.We believe it represents the ultimate violation of the right to life, a cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment.The institution’s decades of research and advocacy demonstrate that the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent and carries an unacceptable risk of executing innocent individuals.
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The situation in Iran is critical. Thousands
