Iran’s human rights record remains one of the most concerning globally, particularly in its treatment of women and its use of arbitrary executions. For decades, independent observers and human rights experts have documented grave abuses, from violations of free expression and assembly to the use of torture and systematic repression. These issues remain deeply embedded in Iranian law and governance, with gender-based discrimination and capital punishment representing two of the most egregious and worsening concerns.
Following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022, Iran witnessed a powerful wave of protests. In response to the violent crackdown that followed, the UN Human Rights Council created an Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFMI). Initially focused on protest-related violations, in 2025 its mandate was expanded to cover a broader range of ongoing abuses, including those based on gender, ethnicity, religion, and political views.
One of the most disturbing trends is the institutionalized discrimination against women and girls. Iran maintains a legal system that subjects women to gender apartheid through draconian laws and discriminatory policies. Girls can be held criminally responsible from the age of nine under Islamic law, and child marriage remains legal, with the minimum age set at 13—lower still with court approval. This legal framework not only condones forced marriage but often protects perpetrators of violence against women.
Iranian women face barriers in employment, politics, and the justice system. They are barred from holding key judicial roles, and the law allows men to inflict violence under certain conditions, including killing a wife caught in adultery. Most recently, the regime sought to pass a sweeping law enforcing the compulsory hijab, threatening women with fines and imprisonment for non-compliance. The legislation, titled the Protection of the Family through Promoting the Culture of Hijab and Chastity, sparked international outrage and was temporarily paused following global condemnation. However, the regime’s intent to control women’s public and private lives remains clear.
Simultaneously, Iran continues to carry out an alarmingly high number of executions. In 2024 alone, at least 901 people were executed, making Iran the world leader in executions per capita. Many of these sentences result from vaguely defined charges such as “spreading corruption on Earth” or “armed rebellion.” Capital punishment is also applied to non-violent offenses including drug use, adultery, and homosexuality. The use of the death penalty extends to minors and disproportionately targets ethnic and religious minorities. Shockingly, at least 31 women were executed in 2024—a figure unmatched elsewhere in the world.
These violations are part of a long history of state violence. From 1979 to 1988, Iran carried out mass executions of political dissidents, acts documented as crimes against humanity and potentially genocide. The continued absence of accountability for these past atrocities enables the persistence of today’s abuses.
The international community must step up its pressure on Iran. Temporary pauses in repressive policies show that global condemnation can make a difference. Sustained support for UN mechanisms, combined with a firm call for justice, is vital. Without accountability, the cycle of repression will continue—at the cost of countless lives and basic freedoms.