Shafaq News – Geneva

The United Nations Human Rights Office reported on Friday that Iran has carried out at least 800 executions since the start of 2025, expressing “deep concern over the sharp rise in executions.”

In a post on X, the Office stated that Tehran has used the death penalty systematically “to intimidate and suppress society, disproportionately affecting minorities and migrants.”

Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, noted that the figure of 841 executions recorded between January 1 and August 28 could be higher due to limited transparency.

The surge was particularly evident in July, when 110 executions were recorded, double the number in the same month last year. The UN has also documented seven public executions in 2025, the most recent on August 19 in Birem, in southern Iran’s Fars province.

Describing public executions as a “double affront to human dignity,” Shamdasani underlined their severe psychological impact, particularly on children compelled to witness them.

The Office further identified 11 individuals at “imminent risk of execution,” including six accused of affiliation with the Iranian Mujahedi-e Khalq (MEK) Organization and five involved in the fall 2022 protests, known as “Women, Life, Freedom.”

Earlier, the UN urged Iranian authorities to halt all scheduled executions, stressing that the death penalty violates the right to life and carries a significant risk of wrongful executions.