Iran execution surge linked to political repression and fear of unrest

A conference at the United Nations in Geneva has highlighted a surge in executions in Iran, which speakers described as a tool of political repression used to intimidate a population the regime fears could erupt in nationwide protests. Former political prisoner Behzad Naziri and women’s rights advocate Azadeh Alami noted that the accelerating wave of capital punishment is a direct response to unresolved societal grievances and the resistance of Iranian women.

Reports indicate a systemic pattern of judicial proceedings relying on forced confessions and a lack of transparency. On October 3, 2026, Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, a protester detained in January 2026, was executed in Mashhad Central Prison. This follows the recent executions of Ali Hemmati and Majid Nikandesh. Additionally, at least 11 prisoners convicted of ordinary offenses were executed across several cities, including Gorgan and Tabriz, in a three-day period.

In response, PMOI Resistance Units have launched anti-execution campaigns across numerous Iranian cities, such as Tehran, Karaj, and Mashhad, displaying posters of political prisoners facing death. In Zahedan, activists have also campaigned for a democratic republic, using the slogan ‘No Shah, No Mullahs’ to reject both theocratic and monarchical forms of dictatorship. Meanwhile, 46 nations at the UN Human Rights Council have issued a joint statement expressing grave concern over the rising executions of protesters, women, and children.