UN Experts Alarmed by Iran's Surge in Executions

Mon Oct 20 2025 23:14:09 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Over 1,000 executions reported in Iran this year, raising significant human rights concerns according to UN rapporteurs.

UN human rights experts voiced deep concern after witnessing a dramatic escalation in executions in Iran. More than 1,000 individuals have reportedly been executed in the first nine months of this year, highlighting severe human rights violations. The report noted that much of this surge can be attributed to drug-related offenses. Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights corroborate these figures, indicating systematic violations of international law. The situation has escalated further with recent executions linked to espionage accusations, sparking calls for global action to curb this alarming trend.

UN human rights experts have said they are appalled by a dramatic escalation in the number of executions in Iran, with more than 1,000 people killed during the first nine months of 2025.

The sheer scale of executions in Iran is staggering and represents a grave violation of the right to life, the five special rapporteurs warned in a joint statement.

They noted that half of the known executions were for drug-related offences and that nine hangings per day on average had been documented in recent weeks.

There was no immediate comment from Iran. But the government has previously defended its use of the death penalty, saying it is limited to only the most severe crimes.

It comes on the same day as Iran said a man accused of spying for Israel had been executed.

The judiciary's Mizan news agency named him as Bahman Choubi Asl and reported that he was a database expert who worked on sensitive telecommunications projects and was a trusted spy of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, without providing any evidence.

He was hanged on Monday after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal against his conviction on the charge of corruption on Earth, it added.

Mizan did not say when Asl was arrested, and his case had not previously been reported by Iranian media or human rights groups.

He was the 11th man convicted of spying for Israel to be executed by Iran this year, with 10 of the executions carried out since the 12-day war between the two countries in June.

Last week, Amnesty International and the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights said they had documented the executions of 1,000 people in Iran since January - already surpassing last year's reported total of 975.

According to Iran Human Rights, 50% of those executed this year were accused of drug-related charges; 43% of murder; 3% of the security-related charges of armed rebellion against the state, corruption on Earth and enmity against God; and 1% of spying.

Both groups said the executions followed routinely unfair trials that were marred by allegations of torture and other ill-treatment.

Iran's powerful constitutional watchdog the Guardian Council is also currently reviewing a draft espionage bill that redefines collaboration with hostile states, which is punishable by the death penalty, to include acts such as online communication, collaborating with foreign media, and so-called ideological alignment.

The UN experts stated that the international community could not remain silent in the face of such systemic violations and that states must take concrete diplomatic action to pressure Iran to halt this execution spree.