Iran: Call to halt increasing executions and impose moratorium on death penalty
Press briefing notes
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
29 August 2025
From
Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Ravina Shamdasani
Location
Geneva
Iranian authorities have executed at least 841 people since the beginning of the year and up until 28 August 2025, according to information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office - ignoring multiple calls to join the worldwide movement towards abolition of the death penalty.
In July alone, Iranian authorities executed 110 individuals. This represents more than double the number of people executed in July of last year and follows a major increase in executions during the first half of 2025. The high number of executions indicates a systematic pattern of using death penalty as a tool of State intimidation, with disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities and migrants.
Currently facing imminent execution are 11 individuals; six of them charged with "armed rebellion" due to their alleged membership of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) group, and five in relation to their participation in the 2022 protests. On 16 August 2025, the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence against workers' rights activist Sharifeh Mohammadi.
The death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and irreconcilable with human dignity. It creates an unacceptable risk of executing innocent people. It should never be imposed for conduct that is protected under international human rights law.
We call on the Government of Iran not to implement the death penalty against these and other individuals on death row.
Once again, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk calls on Iran to impose a moratorium on the application of the capital punishment, as a step towards its abolition.
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