The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called on Iranian authorities to immediately halt the use of the death penalty, amid what he described as an alarming surge in executions. Recent figures from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reveal that at least 612 individuals have been executed in Iran during the first half of 2025. This figure is more than double the 297 executions recorded during the same timeframe in 2024. Türks’s statement highlights that over 40 percent of these executions were related to drug offenses, while others stem from nebulous charges such as “enmity against God” or “corruption on earth”—often utilized to quell dissent.
Türk expressed additional concerns about the state of due process in Iran. Many sentences, he noted, resulted from closed-door proceedings lacking basic fair-trial guarantees. Further exacerbating worries is a proposed espionage bill under review by Iran’s Guardian Council. Türk warns that this bill could broaden the reach of capital punishment to acts including online communication with foreign media and endorses its withdrawal.
Independent UN experts and special rapporteurs have echoed these concerns. In her initial report to the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on Iran documented an extraordinary rise in executions during 2024, making Iran the highest per capita user of the death penalty. A substantial number of these were linked to drug-related offenses. Her report also underscored an uptick in executions involving women and those connected to protests. This pattern, Türk emphasized, illustrates a deeply disturbing trend, advocating for both a moratorium and meaningful reform.
The troubling developments have also attracted scrutiny from human rights organizations. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported significant increases in executions, with the latter noting a substantial 75 percent rise by May 27, 2025, compared to the same period in the previous year. Of particular concern was the execution of 113 individuals within the first 25 days of May, underlining the urgent need for action. Many activists and NGOs have criticized specific cases, such as the upholding of the death sentence for Kurdish activist Pakhshan Azizi, citing failures to meet the “most serious crimes” threshold required by international law and her trial’s procedural violations.
A comprehensive approach from international bodies might be vital to intensify pressure on Iran. Human Rights Watch has suggested unilateral actions and called for global support to address Iran’s rising execution rates. Türk emphasized the death penalty’s incompatibility with the principles of life and human dignity and urged Iran to align with global trends toward abolition by declaring an immediate moratorium here.