The United Nations has urged Iran to halt the implementation of the death penalty, calling attention to a “worrying increase in executions” with at least 612 people executed this year.
“Reports that there have been several hundred executions in Iran so far this year underscore how deeply disturbing the situation has become and the urgent need for an immediate moratorium in the country on the use of the death penalty,” U.N. Human Rights chief Volker Türk said in a statement.
The figure of at least 612 executions in the first half of 2025 is more than double the number recorded in the same period for 2024, which saw 297 executions, according to the UN.
Türk expressed alarm over reports indicating there are at least 48 individuals currently on death row, with 12 at imminent risk of execution.
Over 40% of those executed this year faced drug-related charges, Türk’s office reported, while others were judged on broad and vague charges such as ‘enmity against God’ and ‘corruption on Earth’, often used by authorities to suppress dissidents.
The UN has gathered information suggesting that judicial proceedings often occur behind closed doors and fail to adhere to fair trial standards, Türk added.
Several NGOs assert that Iranian authorities have detained hundreds and executed dozens in a crackdown following the 12-day conflict with Israel. They accuse Iran of using intimidation to counteract vulnerabilities exposed by the conflict.
According to human rights organisations including Amnesty International, Iran ranks second worldwide in the number of executions, trailing only behind China.
