Urgent Call to Action: Stop the Wave of Executions in Iran

1 September 2025
News group: Uncategorised –
Breathing in Confinement – The following report examines the alarming and escalating trend of executions in Iran over the past two months.

In recent weeks, the implementation of death sentences in Iranian prisons, particularly in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, has intensified at an unprecedented and deeply concerning pace. According to documentation gathered by Breathing in Confinement, following the “12-day war between Iran and Israel,” the Islamic Republic has not only escalated repression, mass arrests, severe restrictions on online platforms, and blocking of user accounts, but has also drastically increased the number of executions.

Documented statistics:

• From 20 June to 20 July 2025, coinciding with the 12-day war, at least 83 executions were carried out.

• From 20 July to 20 August 2025, this number more than doubled to 172 executions — averaging more than five executions per day. This represents the highest monthly number of executions recorded in the past six months.

However, many executions remain concealed for security and political reasons, with details regarding identity, timing, and place of execution withheld.

The situation in Ghezel Hesar Prison
Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj has long been one of the main centres for executions in Iran. According to sources of Breathing in Confinement, last week 24 prisoners from various wards were transferred to solitary confinement cells (known as “suites”) for execution. Only one, Soleiman Koushki, was temporarily returned to the general ward, but his death sentence was carried out on Sunday, 31 August.

Other prisoners executed in recent days include Mehdi Raoufi, Ahmadali Mehripour, and Hamid Kakavandi, who were executed on Thursday, 28 August, and Saturday, 30 August.

Out of the 24 executions carried out in this period, only 11 cases have been exposed by human rights organisations; the remaining 13 executions remain unreported.

A notable change is that, unlike the previous practice at Ghezel Hesar — where executions typically took place on Wednesdays — in recent weeks executions have been extended to other days of the week, signalling an unprecedented acceleration in the pace of executions.

Public executions
Since the beginning of this year, at least five public executions have been recorded, all of which occurred after the 12-day war. This figure already represents a sharp increase compared to the total number of public executions documented last year (six cases).

Conclusion and call for urgent action
Breathing in Confinement expresses deep concern over the abnormal and systematic escalation in the number of executions. This trend constitutes a blatant violation of the right to life and contravenes Iran’s international obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

This organisation calls on the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ms Mai Sato, as well as all international human rights bodies, to:

• Investigate and issue urgent reports on the surge in executions in Iran.

• Urge the Iranian government to immediately halt executions and comply with its international commitments.

• Activate international mechanisms to prevent the continued gross violation of the right to life in Iran.