TEHRAN — Iran’s use of mass executions has drawn renewed global condemnation after human rights monitors reported that 29 people were executed by the Islamic Republic in the span of a single week. The report coincides with the 67th consecutive week of the ‘Tuesday Against Executions’ campaign, a civil society movement highlighting the scale and persistence of Iran’s ongoing use of the death penalty to suppress dissent and control its population.
The continuing executions underline a systematic policy wielded by Iranian authorities as a means of maintaining internal order and deterring political activism. According to Iranian rights organizations and international observers, the campaign began in early 2023 in response to a surge in executions ordered by the judiciary and security apparatus, under the direction of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and reinforced by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Systematic Repression
Iran remains one of the world’s leading executioners, with hundreds put to death each year for a variety of offenses ranging from drug-related crimes to vaguely defined charges such as “enmity against God” and activities considered ‘anti-revolutionary.’ Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, have repeatedly documented patterns of arbitrary detention, forced confessions, and executions after expedited trials that fall far short of international standards.
Of particular concern to advocates is the regime’s willingness to sentence political prisoners, members of ethnic and religious minorities, and alleged participants in protest movements to death in trials frequently marked by secrecy, lack of evidence, and denial of legal representation. Iran’s judiciary has ramped up execution orders since the eruption of nationwide protests in September 2022, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman who died in custody after being detained by the regime’s morality police.
The Scale of the Crisis
The weekly death toll reported by civil society observers reflects a broader pattern of state violence. Respecting the privacy and fear of retaliation faced by victims’ families, many details remain undisclosed, and many of the executed are unnamed. Advocates have reported that requests for legal recourse are frequently rejected, and families are commonly denied the right to retrieve their loved ones’ bodies or conduct funerals. In several regions, particularly those with large Kurdish and Baluch populations, the execution rate is believed to be disproportionately high.
Regional and Global Context
Observers note that the machinery of repression in Iran, exemplified by executions, is inseparable from the regime’s broader regional ambitions. The same apparatus responsible for domestic brutality—the IRGC—directs Iran’s external campaigns through proxies in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. The international community has linked Iran’s impunity at home, reflected in its frequent use of the death penalty, directly to its destabilizing influence and sponsorship of terror networks abroad. Israeli officials repeatedly highlight this linkage, stressing that the unchecked brutality of the Iranian regime is a threat not only to its own population, but also to regional stability and the security of Israel, a frequent target of Iranian-sponsored attacks.
Growing Domestic Resistance
The ‘Tuesday Against Executions’ campaign has emerged as a symbol of nonviolent civil resistance, with activists defying a repressive environment to name victims, document abuses, and appeal to international allies for solidarity. Despite a climate of pervasive surveillance and the threat of imprisonment, demonstrators and their allies in the Iranian diaspora continue to mobilize public opinion and attract the attention of institutions such as the United Nations and European Parliament. In recent weeks, exiled Iranian groups have joined the calls for governments to increase pressure on Tehran, urging targeted sanctions and diplomatic isolation against key figures in the judiciary and security sector.
International Response
The regularity and pace of executions have prompted sharp rebuke from Western governments and international human rights bodies. The European Union, United States, and UN agencies have called for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Iran, citing widespread failures in due process and the persistent targeting of political dissidents. These statements are echoed by human rights organizations who argue that international engagement with Tehran should be conditioned on measurable improvement of its human rights record. Iranian officials have dismissed this pressure as foreign interference and have stepped up efforts to silence local activists, including arresting campaign leaders and increasing digital censorship.
The Road Ahead
As Iran enters its 68th week of civil action against executions, campaigners are bracing for further reprisals but remain resolute. The movement’s persistence demonstrates the deep-seated opposition among ordinary Iranians to the regime’s use of judicial violence. At the same time, Israel and regional actors continue to warn that the methods the regime uses to maintain its grip on power at home have grim implications for the region’s future.
The wider context is clear: the international community’s ability to constrain Iran’s human rights abuses is closely tied to broader efforts to impede its external aggression, terrorism sponsorship, and destabilizing activity across the Middle East. Underlining all is the moral imperative not to turn away from the suffering of Iranian victims and their families. Until concrete measures are implemented—ranging from targeted sanctions to expanded support for grassroots civil society—the machinery of death deployed by the Iranian regime is likely to continue, unchecked, within and beyond its borders.
