{"id":6910,"date":"2025-10-04T20:49:06","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T20:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bciran.org\/wplocationen\/?p=6910"},"modified":"2025-10-04T20:49:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T20:49:06","slug":"human-rights-violations-in-iran-20-august-20-september-at-least-196-prisoners-executed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bciran.org\/wplocationen\/freedom-of-expression\/human-rights-violations-in-iran-20-august-20-september-at-least-196-prisoners-executed","title":{"rendered":"Human Rights Violations in Iran, 20 August\u201320 September: At Least 196 Prisoners Executed"},"content":{"rendered":"

29 September 2025<\/strong>
\nNews group: Freedom of Expression \u2013 Protests \u2013 Hunger Strikes by Political Prisoners \u2013 Executions \u2013 Ethnic Minorities \u2013 Students \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Breathing in Confinement<\/strong> \u2013 According to the Statistics Centre of the Prisoners\u2019 Rights League in Iran, at least 196 prisoners<\/strong> were executed over the past month (20 August to 20 September 2025).<\/p>\n

In its latest monthly update, the Prisoners\u2019 Rights League in Iran reports a sharp escalation in human-rights violations. Over the past month, at least 196 people<\/strong>\u2014including political, ideological, and security-related prisoners\u2014lost their lives through executions. This unprecedented figure represents a striking surge compared with previous months and is unparalleled since the 2000s, indicating an intensification of state intimidation.<\/p>\n

In total, at least 862 prisoners<\/strong> were executed in the first six months of the Iranian year 1404 (20 March\u201320 September 2025). Since 20 March, the Islamic Republic has executed at least 30 women<\/strong>, seven of them in the past month.<\/p>\n

This alarming and unrestrained rise in executions is unfolding amid deepening domestic crises and regional pressures. In an apparent effort to compensate for structural weakness and collapsing social legitimacy, the authorities have set an unrelenting \u201ccycle of death\u201d in motion. These mass executions do not represent justice, but rather a form of organised state violence which, alongside other punishments such as flogging, torture, arbitrary arrests, and deaths in custody, signals systematic violations of fundamental human rights\u2014from the right to life to the prohibition of torture.<\/p>\n

This \u201cexecution tsunami\u201d is not confined to eliminating political opponents; it spans multiple strata of society. The sharp increase in executions of ordinary criminal prisoners\u2014often themselves products of state policies\u2014constitutes another face of state killings. Nevertheless, resistance to this \u201cpolitics of death\u201d has grown. Campaigns such as \u201cTuesdays Against Executions\u201d<\/strong>, together with protests by families of prisoners, workers, pensioners, and other social groups, testify to society\u2019s ongoing stand against state violence and its demand for justice, freedom, and human dignity.<\/p>\n

The Prisoners\u2019 Rights League in Iran expresses grave concern at the escalating pattern of abuses and calls on the international community and human-rights bodies to take effective and urgent measures to protect lives, counter the current wave of repression, and prevent the further spread of executions.<\/p>\n

Summary of violations in the past month:<\/strong><\/p>\n

-At least 196 executions<\/strong>, including 2 political\/ideological prisoners<\/strong> and 7 women<\/strong>;<\/p>\n

–Death sentences<\/strong> issued for 9 prisoners<\/strong> (including 1 political prisoner<\/strong>) and 4<\/strong> other death sentences confirmed by the Supreme Court<\/strong><\/p>\n

-At least 85 arrests<\/strong><\/p>\n

– 7 prisoner died<\/strong> due to lack of medical care in prisons<\/p>\n

– Flogging sentences<\/strong> issued for 4 defendants<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Prison sentences against 27 political\/ideological defendants<\/strong> totalling 57 years, 4 months, and 4 days\u2019 imprisonment<\/strong>, with at least 4 political convicts<\/strong> detained for sentence enforcement<\/p>\n

– Fines<\/strong> totalling 380 million tomans<\/strong><\/p>\n

– 34 worker deaths<\/strong> and at least 45 injuries<\/strong> from workplace incidents, plus at least 170 worker dismissals<\/strong><\/p>\n

– 13 cases<\/strong> of violence and killings against women<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Over 420 protests, marches, and civil actions<\/strong> nationwide<\/p>\n

– Continued weekly \u201cTuesdays Against Executions\u201d<\/strong> hunger strike in 52 prisons<\/strong> (now in its 87th week<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

– Ongoing protest gatherings<\/strong> by families of political prisoners, as well as continued demonstrations by pensioners and other social groups.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Comprehensive Analysis of Executions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall execution figures<\/strong><\/p>\n

April:<\/strong> 86<\/p>\n

May:<\/strong> 172<\/p>\n

June:<\/strong> 144<\/p>\n

July:<\/strong> 88<\/p>\n

August:<\/strong> 176<\/p>\n

September:<\/strong> 196<\/p>\n

Based on data compiled by the Statistics Centre of the Prisoners\u2019 Rights League in Iran, at least 196 prisoners<\/strong> were executed nationwide in the past month. The composition of these executions underscores the breadth and multi-layered nature of the crisis: 1 political prisoner<\/strong>, 1 prisoner of conscience<\/strong>, 1 person accused of espionage<\/strong>, 104<\/strong> for drug-related offences, 88<\/strong> for murder, and 1<\/strong> for rape.<\/p>\n

Special cases <\/strong><\/p>\n

Mehran Bahramian<\/strong>, a political prisoner and detainee of the 2022 nationwide protests<\/strong>, executed in Isfahan on charges of moharebeh<\/em> and efsad-e-fel-arz<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A prisoner of conscience<\/strong> was also executed on a charge of ISIS affiliation.<\/p>\n

These examples show that the judiciary continues to target a wide spectrum of detainees\u2014from political protesters to religious and ethnic minorities. In addition, after the initial August report was published, four further executions<\/strong> were later identified and disclosed by the Prisoners\u2019 Rights League in Iran, further highlighting the gulf between official figures and reality.<\/p>\n

Looking at the first six months of the Iranian year 1404 (20 March\u201320 September 2025)<\/strong> presents an even more troubling picture: at least 863 executions<\/strong>, compared with 394<\/strong> in the same period last year\u2014an 119% increase<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The number of public executions<\/strong> during this period equals the total for the last year, indicating the authorities\u2019 heightened use of violent spectacle to spread fear.<\/p>\n

Another striking feature is the gap between official<\/strong> and actual<\/strong> numbers: out of 196 executions<\/strong> recorded last month, only 8<\/strong> were announced by state media or official bodies; the remaining 188<\/strong> were exposed by independent human-rights groups, journalists, and families. This stark disparity points to a policy of systematic concealment<\/strong> aimed at muting public scrutiny and reducing international pressure.<\/p>\n

Another salient aspect is the execution of 7 women<\/strong> last month, reflecting a continuing trend despite repeated international concern over women\u2019s vulnerability within Iran\u2019s justice system.<\/p>\n

At least 47 members of ethnic minorities<\/strong> were executed (including 19 Baluch<\/strong> and 28 Kurds<\/strong>). Beyond structural discrimination and targeted repression, many of these cases feature serious fair-trial violations: reports of torture to extract forced confessions, convictions on vague national-security charges, and denial of access to independent legal counsel.<\/p>\n

Taken together, these data suggest that, amid widening political and social crises, the authorities are turning to executions not as a judicial process but as a political instrument<\/strong> for intimidation and social control. The rapid acceleration of death sentences\u2014alongside concurrent repression of minorities and women\u2014shows that the government is wielding the death penalty as a means of survival.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Charge-Based Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Statistical comparison of executions over the past six months, by charge.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Of the 196<\/strong> executions recorded last month, only 8<\/strong> were officially announced by state media or government bodies, while the remaining 188<\/strong> were exposed by the Prisoners\u2019 Rights League in Iran, independent human-rights organisations, journalists, and the victims\u2019 families.<\/p>\n

Analysis of the composition of those executed also reveals concerning patterns.<\/strong> The execution of 7 women <\/strong>and 47 members of ethnic minorities<\/strong> in the last month points to the gendered and discriminatory nature of the Islamic Republic\u2019s judicial system. The data show that, in Iran, the death penalty functions beyond a judicial mechanism and has become a political-security tool to suppress vulnerable groups, women, and minorities\u2014its principal purpose being to entrench fear and control a society the authorities worry is slipping beyond their grasp.<\/p>\n

The quantitative and qualitative trajectory of executions in the past six months<\/strong> sketches a grim picture of wide-ranging human-rights violations. What stands out in these data are: organised concealment of facts; the performative use of public executions to instil fear; the continued issuance of death sentences against women; and a focus on repressing ethnic minorities.<\/p>\n

Taken together, these patterns show clearly<\/strong> that, amid the current political and social crises, the Islamic Republic is employing executions not as a judicial process but as a central pillar of security policy<\/strong> and an instrument of social control. Each execution, therefore, goes beyond an individual punishment and forms part of a broader state strategy to secure government survival and reproduce fear within society.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

According to data from the Prisoners\u2019 Rights League in Iran, between 20 August and 20 September 2024, 70 executions<\/strong> were recorded. In the same period this year, the figure rose to at least 196<\/strong>. This represents an increase of about 180%<\/strong>. This sharp rise should be viewed as a serious indication of the authorities\u2019 intensified resort to capital punishment\u2014contrary to Iran\u2019s international obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights<\/em>, the right to life, and the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Analysis by Characteristics of Those Executed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gender and age<\/strong><\/p>\n

Women <\/strong><\/p>\n

April: 5<\/p>\n

May: 7<\/p>\n

June: 4<\/p>\n

July: 1<\/p>\n

August: 5<\/p>\n

September: 7<\/p>\n

According to the Statistics Centre of the Prisoners\u2019 Rights League in Iran, at least seven women were executed in various prisons last month. Together with the six-month figures, this accounts for a significant share of the 30 women executed since 20 March. These data attest to a concerning trend: the justice system\u2019s continued reliance on the death penalty against women. The majority were taken to the gallows on murder charges, yet many were denied an effective defence, access to independent counsel, and a fair trial. Case files and available testimonies indicate that many of these charges arose in complex social and family contexts, and that the death penalty has often been used not as a just punishment but as a display of judicial power.<\/p>\n

The executed women in the past month:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maliheh Haqqi (34)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mitra Yasini Banoo-Moghadam (60)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gohar Taheri Aghdam (52)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zahra Fatouhi (52) <\/strong><\/p>\n

And another woman<\/strong> of unknown identity who was eexecuted in Sabzevar Prison.<\/p>\n

The charge for all of these women was murder. In addition, Hadigheh Abadi<\/strong> was executed in Tabriz on drug-related charges. The geographic spread of these executions \u2014 Tabriz, Shiraz, Abhar (Zanjan), Qazvin, and Sabzevar \u2014 shows that executions of women are neither exceptional nor confined to a single region, but part of a wider, systematic pattern nationwide. Given women\u2019s particular status in Iranian society and the weakness of legal and social protections, women facing execution are among the most vulnerable victims of human-rights violations in the Islamic Republic \u2014 a group whose fate now more than ever requires urgent international attention and action.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Special cases<\/strong><\/p>\n

Political prisoners<\/strong><\/p>\n