Iran Executes More than 50 People Since March 2026

ILLUSTRATION PHOTO/UNSPLASH/sina drakhshani

JAKARTA - The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that the number of death sentences in Iran has increased since March 2026.

It is reported that 56 people have been executed in Iran on charges related to national security since March 19, including 27 people whose cases are related to the widespread anti-regime protests earlier this year.

As reported by CNN, Wednesday, August 5, the UN Human Rights Chief urged the Iranian authorities to stop all executions and move towards abolishing the death penalty.

Türk's statement comes amid the view of a number of non-governmental organizations - including the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group and operating with members inside and outside Iran - that the regime has increased executions by using the conflict situation as a cover.

Human rights organizations and UN experts have criticized the lack of human rights protection in the 14-point Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed by the United States and Iran on June 17, 2026.

Activists and rights groups warn the negligence allows Tehran to accelerate its crackdown and executions at home.

Mostafa Tajzadeh, a political prisoner and senior Iranian reformist politician who is one of the most vocal critics of the Iranian political system from within the circle of power, issued an open letter from Evin Prison on Monday.

He called for an immediate halt to the executions of the young protesters.

He called the executions "playing with fire" and warned that it "could set the country back in a devastating fire."

"In my view, executions will only widen the gap between the state and society, reduce the chances for dialogue and peaceful change, and increase the risk of the country falling back into a cycle of reciprocal violence," Tajzadeh said.