Iran Executes 56 Protesters

Iran has executed at least 56 people on national security-related charges since March 19, with 27 of those executions linked to nationwide protests in January. The executions, which have been carried out in public using cranes to set up hanging ropes, have sparked widespread condemnation from the international community.

The European Union and over 30 countries have condemned Iran's use of the death penalty against protesters, with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warning that the executions are part of a larger pattern of repression. More than 100 others are at risk of execution on similar charges, according to Türk.

One of the recent executions was that of three young protesters, Amirhossein Safari, 27, Abolfazl Sepahi, 23, and Alirez Sepahi, 25, who were hanged in Isfahan on July 28. The executions were carried out in public, with cranes used to set up hanging ropes.

In addition to the executions of protesters, Iran has also executed at least 14 women since the start of 2026, including Marzieh Nieri, 23, who was executed at Qazvin Central Prison after a court rejected her self-defence claim. Nieri had been forced into marriage at 17 and had acted in self-defence against a sexual assault, but the court rejected her claim and sentenced her to death.

The executions come against a backdrop of sharply rising execution rates for women in Iran, with the US State Department reporting that at least 61 women were executed in Iran in 2025, the highest figure in 25 years.

## Why it matters The executions in Iran are a stark reminder of the regime's repression of dissent and its willingness to use the death penalty to silence its critics. The international community has condemned the executions, and the European Union and over 30 countries have called for an end to the use of the death penalty against protesters. The executions also highlight the plight of women in Iran, who are often subjected to harsh treatment and discriminatory laws.

The situation in Iran is likely to continue to deteriorate, with more executions expected in the coming weeks and months. The international community must continue to pressure the Iranian regime to end its use of the death penalty and to respect the human rights of its citizens.