Iran’s ruling regime has intensified its crackdown on its population, executing at least 21 individuals and arresting more than 4,000 people in the two months following the outbreak of conflict involving the United States and Israel, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
These actions are widely viewed by opposition groups as a coordinated effort to suppress dissent and prevent renewed nationwide uprisings.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that wartime conditions are being used to justify serious human rights violations. He called for an immediate halt to executions, fair trial guarantees, and the release of arbitrarily detained individuals.
Targeting Resistance Units and the Main Opposition
Reports indicate that many detainees have been accused of links to Resistance Units inside Iran, while the regime simultaneously attempts to discredit the main opposition abroad.
Iranian courts have reportedly fast-tracked cases, often relying on forced confessions extracted under torture.
Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, warned European lawmakers that the regime is using the war as a pretext for intensified repression:
“The mullahs are exploiting wartime conditions to block the path of popular uprisings. Political prisoners today face the threat of mass execution.”
She emphasized that at least 11 political prisoners are currently at risk of execution and called for urgent international intervention.
Systematic Abuse and Denial of Justice
Detainees are reportedly subjected to overcrowded conditions, denial of medical care, and torture aimed at extracting confessions. The use of elm-e-qazi, allowing convictions based on judicial discretion rather than concrete evidence, further erodes due process.
Among those affected is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, whose health has reportedly worsened due to medical neglect in detention.
Rising Executions as a Tool of Fear
Human rights monitors point to a sharp rise in executions in recent years, with the death penalty increasingly used as a tool of intimidation against society.
Public hangings continue to be carried out to instill fear among the population.
Silencing the Population
Authorities have also imposed widespread internet restrictions, limiting access to information and isolating the population from the outside world.
Opposition groups argue that these measures are designed to conceal abuses and prevent coordination among protesters.
Call for International Action
The Iranian opposition is urging the international community to take concrete steps, including:
- Conditioning diplomatic relations on ending executions
- Ensuring free internet access for the Iranian people
- Holding regime officials accountable for crimes against humanity
As Maryam Rajavi stressed, continued international silence risks enabling further repression.