The Washington Post: By Stephen J. Rapp
(Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues and Chief Prosecutor of international tribunals)
A dire human rights crisis is unfolding in Iran — one that echoes the country’s darkest past and challenges the international community’s resolve to prevent mass atrocities. The Islamic Republic, already infamous for its use of deadly force to silence dissent, has intensified its repression through state-sanctioned executions. Without a forceful global response, we risk allowing history to repeat itself.
In 2019, Iranian security forces massacred hundreds during protests over rising fuel prices. Three years later, the killing of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by Iran’s morality police, ignited widespread protests. The regime’s reaction was swift and brutal: over 750 people were killed and roughly 30,000 arrested. Yet, while the gunfire has quieted, executions have become the regime’s long-term tool for crushing opposition.
Since 2023, Iran’s use of the death penalty has skyrocketed. Over 850 executions were reported that year, followed by nearly 1,000 in 2024. In 2025, a U.N. special rapporteur warned that the toll could surpass even those numbers. Protesters from the 2022 uprising have already been hanged, often under charges like moharebeh—”enmity against God”—a vague accusation used to silence political opposition. Many face death not for violent acts but for mere association with opposition groups.
This wave of state killings is not random. It is a coordinated effort to reassert control following national uprisings and recent instability from Iran’s 2025 conflict with Israel. The regime, feeling exposed and weakened, has doubled down on suppressing any internal dissent. Iran’s parliament is now seeking to speed up executions for those it claims collaborate with foreign powers—a broad and dangerous justification.
This escalation draws chilling parallels to the mass executions of 1988, when about 30,000 political prisoners were summarily killed. Their “crime” was loyalty to democratic ideals or affiliations with groups like the PMOI. The same charges, and even the same justifications, are resurfacing today. In July 2025, three activists — Farshad Etemadi-Far, Masoud Jamei, and Alireza Mardasi — were sentenced to death under moharebeh. Hundreds more face similar fates.
The signs are unmistakable. Iranian state media now glorifies the 1988 executions as a “successful historical experience,” and the regime has resumed rhetoric that calls for purges and killings. On July 4, ten U.N. human rights experts condemned Iran’s crackdown, warning that current propaganda mirrors the regime’s language in 1988.
Global inaction then enabled mass slaughter. We must not repeat that mistake. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights should immediately initiate a fact-finding mission. Democratic governments must impose sanctions and isolate Iran diplomatically until the killings stop.
Impunity cannot be allowed to prevail. While justice may take time, it is not out of reach. Iran’s rulers must be shown that the world is watching — and will hold them accountable.
