In the month following Iran’s June 2024 presidential elections, Iranian authorities have executed at least 87 people, according to reports by Human Rights Watch. Among those executed was Reza (Gholamreza) Rasaei, a Kurdish man involved in the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in custody. This surge in executions has raised concerns over the country’s justice system and its treatment of political dissenters.
On August 7, 2024, authorities conducted mass executions at two prisons, executing 29 prisoners. At Ghezel Hesar Prison, 26 people were executed, while three were executed at Karaj Central Prison. The executed included 17 people convicted of “premeditated murder,” seven on drug-related charges, and two Afghan nationals sentenced for “rape.” Human Rights Watch has long criticized Iran for due process violations and unfair trials.
“The Iranian authorities are carrying out an egregious execution spree while trumpeting their recent presidential elections as evidence of genuine change,” said Nahid Naghshbandi, acting Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch. She urged Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, to place a moratorium on executions and implement judicial reforms.
The death penalty has been a longstanding tool of suppression in Iran, particularly against those exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly. Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, citing its inherent cruelty. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that Rasaei was executed on August 6 without prior notice to his family. A member of the Yarsan religious minority, Rasaei was sentenced to death for his alleged role in the killing of Nader Birami, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official.
Rasaei’s execution prompted protests in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, where prisoners have been campaigning against executions. Security personnel responded violently, reportedly injuring several women, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. Mohammadi collapsed after being struck in the chest during the crackdown.
Ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, including Kurds and Sunnis, have been disproportionately targeted for death sentences. In August 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentences of six political prisoners in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison. These prisoners were convicted of “armed rebellion” for their alleged membership in opposition groups. Additionally, Kurdish political prisoners, including Sharifeh Mohammadi and Pakhshan Azizi, have faced death sentences on similar charges.
The crackdown on political dissent has extended to other Kurdish activists. Warisha Moradi, another Kurdish political activist, refused to attend her trial in solidarity with fellow death row prisoners. Arrested in 2023, she has been subjected to solitary confinement and denied contact with her family.
Iran’s execution practices have drawn international condemnation. Iran Human Rights reported 249 executions in the first half of 2024, with a significant number related to drug charges. Amnesty International highlighted that Iran accounted for 74 percent of all recorded executions globally in 2023, disproportionately affecting ethnic minorities like the Baluch.
Naghshbandi called on the international community to denounce Iran’s use of the death penalty as a tool of intimidation, urging other nations to pressure Iran to halt executions and reform its judicial system.