Breathing in Confinement

Bloodiest Month of the Year: Human Rights Violations in Iran — 20 September to 20 October 2025

2-November-2025

Category: ethnic minorities، executions، Freedom of Expression، Labor and guilds، Prisoners، religious minorities، Women

26 October 2025
News group: Freedom of Expression – Executions – Religious Minorities – Ethnic Minorities – Women – Prisoners – Workers & Guilds

Breathing in Confinement — This report reviews the gravest violations of the right to life and other fundamental human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past month. Based on documented and verified data from the Statistics Centre of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, at least 286 prisoners—including some political, religious, and security-related detainees—were executed in prisons across the country. This is the highest monthly total in four decades and indicates the systematic use of the death penalty as a tool of repression and public intimidation.

This sweeping wave of executions has unfolded amid deep domestic political, economic, and social crises, alongside mounting international pressure. The surge in executions appears to be part of the state’s security strategy to control society through fear—an overt, organised, and deliberate violation of the right to life enshrined in Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Many of these executions were carried out in groups and at speed, without fair-trial guarantees, access to an independent lawyer, or compliance with minimum human-rights standards. In practice, this constitutes an organised form of state killing carried out under the guise of “law enforcement”. Such actions not only breach international law but, under foundational human-rights principles, may amount to crimes against humanity.

Amid this climate of repression, a wave of civil resistance and protest has taken shape inside and outside prisons. A mass hunger strike by prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezelhesar Prison protesting the executions forced the authorities to temporarily halt executions in drug-related cases—a development that demonstrates the impact of collective resistance and the continued momentum of the “Tuesdays  Against Execution” campaign even under severe repression.

Alongside this, the campaign—now in its 91st consecutive week across 52 prisons—together with protests by families of death-row prisoners, hunger strikes by prisoners convicted of drug offences, and ongoing demonstrations by pensioners, workers and other social groups, signals society’s persistence in demanding justice, freedom, and human dignity.

Taken together, October marks a turning point: the intensification of bloody repression alongside the expansion of civic resistance in Iran. It underscores, once again, the urgent need for immediate international action to stop the wave of executions and to ensure accountability for those responsible for human-rights violations in the Islamic Republic.

 

1- Executions

      a) Overall Execution Statistics in the Past Month

Based on compiled data, at least 286 prisoners were executed in prisons across the country last month. The breakdown of charges is as follows:

• 7 political prisoners
• 2 defendants accused of espionage
• 142 prisoners on drug-related charges
• 129 prisoners for murder
• 3 prisoners for moharebeh (“enmity against God”) via armed robbery
• 1 prisoner for rape
• 2 prisoners with unspecified charges

 

Among the executed political prisoners were:

Saman Mohammadi Khiyarash, a Kurdish citizen, and six Ahwazi Arab prisoners—Ali Mojaddam, Moein Khenfari, Seyyed Salem Mousavi, Mohammad-Reza Moghaddam, Adnan Alboushookeh (Ghabishavi), and Habib Deris—all executed in Ghezelhesar Prison on charges of moharebeh through membership in armed groups and killing state agents.

A review of executions this year shows that from 20 March 2025 to date, at least 1,148 people have been executed in Iran’s prisons.

 

 

According to the chart below, executions rose by 81 cases compared with the previous month—an increase of more than 41%. This figure points to the government’s intensified use of fear as a policy to suppress and eliminate dissent.

 

      b) Record October: Year-on-Year Comparison (2021–2025)

The chart below compares the unprecedented rise in October executions from 2021 to 2025. Executions in October 2025 were 1.7 times those in October 2024.
In addition, a comparison of executions from 20 March to 20 October this year with the same period last year (557 cases) shows an increase of over 100%.

Additionally, the number of public executions from 20 March 2025 to the present already equals the total number of public executions in 2024, indicating the regime’s use of staged executions to instil fear and enforce social control.

 

       c) Geographic Distribution of Executions

Last month, executions were carried out in at least 50 cities nationwide. Karaj recorded the highest number, with two active prisons conducting executions, Ghezelhesar and Karaj Central Prison. Ghezelhesar Prison, with 44 executions in a single month, is identified as a slaughterhouse for prisoners.

After Karaj, the cities of Isfahan and Shiraz ranked next, recording the highest numbers of executions in October.

 

      d) Systematic Secrecy and Lack of Transparency

From the 286 executions recorded in October, only 23 were announced by state media or official sources of the Islamic Republic. In contrast, 263 cases were uncovered by the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran through reports from families and citizen-journalists.

Based on the chart below, 92% of last month’s executions were carried out in secret. This indicates the real number is likely higher than what has been documented. Multiple barriers to accurate, transparent information—such as censorship, intimidation of families, and the absence of independent media—mean many executions go unreported. This wide statistical gap reflects systematic concealment by the authorities and a continuing policy of hiding executions, which obstructs public and international oversight of violations of the right to life in Iran.

 

      e) Executions of Women and Juvenile Offenders

According to the Statistics Centre of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, at least seven women were executed in various prisons across Iran last month. This figure represents a significant portion of the 30 women executed since the start of the current Persian year (20 March 2025), and points to a worrying rise in executions of women. Most of these women were arrested on charges of murder and sentenced to death through proceedings marked by serious due-process violations, including lack of access to an independent lawyer, ineffective defence, and the absence of impartial adjudication. Case files and testimonies from families and former cellmates indicate that many of these women were themselves victims of domestic violence, forced marriage, poverty, and structural inequality—factors the judiciary disregarded when issuing and carrying out death sentences.

The following names have been verified among executed women last month:

• Mehnaz Dehghani
• Roya Abbaszadeh (25)
• Jeyran Zāheri
• Zeinab Khodabandeh
• Nahid Hemmati
• Kafiyeh Qobādzadeh (30)
• Saeedeh Khodadadi

These executions took place in the prisons of Shiraz, Zanjan, Isfahan, and Nahavand. The continued use of the death penalty against women—especially within a system characterised by gender-based discrimination, social pressures, and unequal access to justice—underscores the profoundly misogynistic and inhumane nature of the ruling system. This trend further highlights the urgent need for an international response to halt executions and address violations of women’s rights in Iran.

 

In the same month, two juvenile offenders were executed:

• Mohammadreza Sheihaki, 16 at the time of the alleged offence
• Ali Aghajari Peyvand, 17 at the time of the alleged offence

These executions constitute a clear violation of Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which absolutely prohibit the execution of persons for offences committed under the age of 18.

 

       f) Ethnic Minorities and Structural Discrimination

Among those executed, at least 39 were members of Iran’s ethnic minorities, including nine Baloch and 30 Kurdish prisoners. Many of these cases feature credible signs of torture to extract forced “confessions,” lack of access to independent counsel, and closed-door trials. The persistent targeting of ethnic minorities in capital cases reflects systemic discrimination and the instrumental use of the judiciary to control peripheral regions perceived as oppositional.

 

      g) Analysis and Conclusion

Last month should be regarded as one of the bloodiest in the four decades of the Islamic Republic’s executions—a period during which the Iranian authorities have blatantly and systematically violated the right to life. In response, civil society and victims’ families voiced resistance and protest more forcefully than ever. Executing 286 prisoners in a single month, alongside a more than two-fold increase compared with the same period last year, shows that Iran has turned capital punishment into a core instrument of political repression. This escalation coincides with deep internal crises and growing international pressure and appears aimed at instilling collective fear to control society. Yet the surge in executions has been met with expanding civic resistance, including the hunger strike by prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison and the ongoing “Tuesdays Against Executions” campaign, which has now entered its 91st week across 52 prisons.

 

 

2- Issuance and Confirmation of Death Sentences

The pace of issuing and upholding death sentences remained high last month. At least nine people received death sentences, and the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentences of six other prisoners. Among those newly sentenced were two political prisoners, three prisoners of conscience, and four defendants on murder charges. For example, Nasim Eslam-Zahi, a Baloch prisoner of conscience, was sentenced to death by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Salavati, on the charge of moharebeh through alleged membership in ISIS. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court upheld death sentences for four political prisoners and two defendants in murder cases. Among these, Behnam Na’mati was sentenced to public execution for the murder and abuse of a child.

Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death

• Peyman Farah-Avar, poet
• Mohammad-Javad Vafa’i-Sani, boxing champion and coach
• Ehsan Faridi Dash-Atan, 22-year-old university student

All three have been sentenced to death on charges including efsad-fel-arz (corruption on earth), baghi (armed rebellion), and moharebeh (waging war against God) through alleged membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Their sentences have been upheld by the Supreme Court.

In addition, Hossein Shahouzehi has been sentenced to death on accusations of membership in anti-regime groups, weapons possession, and an alleged plot to assassinate Ahmad Alam-ol-Hoda (the Supreme Leader’s representative in Mashhad); his sentence has also been confirmed.

Newly Issued Death Sentences for Political Prisoners

• Hamed Validi
• Nima Shahi

These two political prisoners were sentenced to death by the Alborz Revolutionary Court on charges of baghi and moharebeh through alleged membership in the PMOI/MEK.

Prisoners of Conscience Sentenced to Death

• Nasim Eslam-Zahi
• Arsalan Sheikhi
• A prisoner identified only as “Hossein”

These three individuals were sentenced to death on the charge of moharebeh (waging war against God) through alleged membership in ISIS by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Salavati.

Overall, the death sentences issued and upheld over the past month indicate an expanding policy of repression via capital punishment against political opponents and prisoners of conscience—a trend that has intensified particularly against minorities, political activists, and prisoners of conscience.

 

 

3- Flogging sentences

In October, Iran’s judiciary continued issuing degrading, inhuman flogging punishments. This month, a total of 260 lashes were handed down to four defendants.

• Atash Shakarami—a justice-seeking relative (aunt) of Nika Shakarami—received 38 lashes on politically motivated charges; the sentence was upheld by the Khorramabad Court of Appeal.
• Kourosh Jalil, a political activist, was sentenced by Branch 104 of the Criminal Court 2 in Boyer-Ahmad to 74 lashes for “spreading falsehoods and disturbing public opinion.”
• In Markazi Province, two defendants were each sentenced to 74 lashes for producing alcohol.

Flogging is a humiliating and cruel punishment that violates human dignity. Its continued use under Iran’s criminal code is in clear conflict with international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment. Persisting with flogging exemplifies the judiciary’s institutionalised violence and organised repression against political prisoners, civil society actors, and ordinary citizens. Its aim is not reform, but fear, humiliation, and social intimidation.

 

 

4- Wave of arrests

Over the past month, a new round of arbitrary arrests and political repression unfolded across Iran. Based on compiled reports, at least 82 people were detained for political activity, justice-seeking, beliefs, or for expressing personal views on social media. Those targeted span many walks of life, including:

• Former political prisoners; bereaved justice-seeking families; political and civil activists
• Journalists and social-media users
• Lawyers, students, artists, teachers, athletes
• Bahá’í citizens and followers of the “Yamani” religious current
• Participants in protest gatherings

These arrests are part of a systematic, targeted campaign to silence critics and justice seekers by instilling fear and extinguishing independent voices.

In one instance, at least 17 students in Hamedan were detained after protesting an assault by an Iraqi student on a female classmate; the identities of seven have been verified so far.

Overall, last month’s arrest wave shows the state’s continuing strategy of social repression and tight control over universities, media, and civil society—meeting any protest or justice-seeking with threats, detention, and fabricated cases.

 

 

5- The Events Inside the Prisons

Deaths in custody due to torture and denial of medical care

In October, there were multiple cases of deaths in custody attributed to torture, denial of treatment, and inhuman prison conditions. Credible reports indicate at least one prisoner was killed under torture, and seven others died due to lack of medical care, delayed hospital transfer, or absent treatment facilities.

• Somayeh Rashidi, a political prisoner accused of supporting the MEK, held in Qarchak Prison (Varamin): she suffered epilepsy and severe headaches; officials refused a timely hospital transfer and administered only non-specific sedatives. After 10 days in a deep coma, she died at Moffateh Hospital in Varamin.
• Hassan Saeedi, a cultural activist from Ahvaz: died under torture at the Ahvaz Intelligence Detention Centre. He had previously been detained for cultural activities.
• Arman Dahmardeh, accused of theft in Zahedan Prison: died in custody after authorities denied medical furlough and hospital transfer.
• Yousef Mahmoud-Zehi, a prisoner on drug-related charges in Iranshahr Prison: required dialysis but died because of delays in transfer to the hospital.
• Hassan Sahraei, held on drug-related charges in Ghezel Hesar: died after illness and delayed transfer to a medical centre.
• Sajjad Shabani, held on non-political charges in Shiraz Prison: died from a cardiac condition after procrastination in hospital referral.
• Saeed Karimi, a death-row prisoner in Ghezel Hesar: died from a heart attack; reports indicate severe psychological stress, lack of mental-health services, and inadequate medical care were direct contributing factors.
• Unidentified prisoner charged with murder in Ghezel Hesar Prison: according to the state newspaper Iran, died from illness amid lack of medical facilities.

 

Amputation

Last month, the sentence to amputate four fingers of the right hand of Mohsen Ashoori, 37, from Rāzaran and residing in Isfahan, was carried out in Isfahan Central Prison. Amputation is a quintessential form of state torture and a flagrant violation of Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7 of the ICCPR, both of which prohibit torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment.

 

Protests and prisoners’ hunger strike

In response to the sweeping wave of executions, prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison launched a hunger strike and sit-in. The protest lasted six days and ultimately compelled judicial officials to give a commitment to temporarily halt executions. With that promise, the prisoners temporarily ended their strike. These events once again lay bare the grim reality of the systematic violation of the right to life and the ongoing torture of prisoners in the prisons of the Islamic Republic—where deliberate neglect of prisoners’ health and the use of physical and psychological torture have become tools of repression and intimidation.

 

 

6- Convictions and enforcement of sentences

In the past month, court rulings were issued in 42 cases involving political and religious-belief defendants. Totals were:

• Total prison terms imposed: 213 years and 2 months
• Total fines: 760 billion tomans

In addition, 11 political convicts were detained to enforce their sentences. Those targeted included political activists, justice-seeking families, labour activists, teachers, media workers, Bahá’í citizens and Christian converts, social-media users, and Sunni seminary students. These figures indicate the continued repression of civil activists and religious/faith minorities in Iran and reflect the judiciary’s broad use of imprisonment and financial penalties to restrict citizens’ lawful civic activity.

 

 

7- Workplace incidents

Over the past month, due to inadequate workplace safety, 34 workers lost their lives and 45 workers were injured. The main causes were:

• Lack of standard safety equipment
• Insufficient training and oversight
• Employer negligence

According to the Director-General of the East Azerbaijan Forensic Medicine Organisation, from 20 March to 20 September of this year, 28 people died in work-related incidents and 687 were injured. The Deputy Health Minister has also stated that roughly 10,000 people die annually in Iran from workplace incidents, while official statistics register over 2,000 deaths per year and exclude informal workers such as kolbars and fuel carriers. These figures show that disregard for workplace safety and the absence of robust oversight remain a serious threat to workers’ lives and health, and demand urgent legal and regulatory action.

 

 

8- Violence against women

In the past month, nine women lost their lives—all victims of domestic violence and of the absence of social support and oversight. Details include:

• 1 woman killed because she sought a divorce
• 1 woman killed for opposing her husband’s second marriage
• 2 women killed for so-called “honour” reasons
• 5 other women and girls killed by family members due to domestic disputes

These data show that violence against women in Iran is not an isolated occurrence but a structural socio-cultural phenomenon driven by economic hardship, gender discrimination, and a lack of effective support and judicial mechanisms.

 

 

9- Protests and strikes

Despite a heavily securitised climate, more than 510 protest gatherings and actions were held nationwide last month.
The “Tuesdays Against Execution” campaign reached its 91st week. Within this framework, political prisoners in 52 prisons went on hunger strike, and their families also held Tuesday gatherings. The hunger strike by Unit 2 prisoners in Ghezel Hesar against executions—shaped by and reinforcing the Tuesdays campaign—became a remarkable example of the campaign’s growth and momentum.

In addition, diverse groups—pensioners, oil and gas workers, civil servants, fraud victims, farmers, nurses, drivers, and bakers—protested discrimination, unpaid wages, and dire living conditions. Oil and gas workers’ core demands included full implementation of “operational zone” allowances, removal of the wage cap and payment of full end-of-service benefits, cancellation of unlawful pension deductions, repayment of illegally levied taxes, and full enforcement of Article 10 of the Law on the Duties and Powers of the Oil Ministry. These protests demonstrate that economic and social hardship, livelihood pressures, and violations of labour rights are the main drivers of popular protests and gatherings in Iran.

 

 

Summary

Developments over the past month show that the unprecedented surge in executions and repression in Iran is part of an organised, systemic policy of state suppression.
286 prisoners were executed this month. Dozens of citizens, political and social activists were arbitrarily detained. New death sentences, long prison terms, flogging, and even amputation were issued or carried out. Severe restrictions on freedom of expression and access to social media continued.

These actions reflect widespread, systematic human-rights violations and Iran’s failure to honour its international obligations, clearly mirroring a crisis of political legitimacy and deepening public mistrust. Yet civil resistance—such as the “Tuesdays—No to Execution” campaign, the protest gatherings of families of death-row prisoners, and the Ghezel Hesar hunger strike—are clear signs of the people’s enduring resolve to defend human dignity and the right to life.

This report underscores that ending the wave of executions and other forms of repression is not only a legal obligation but a human and moral necessity—an essential step toward a just and free society that respects human dignity.