Iran is carrying out near-daily executions in secrecy, with families often learning of the deaths only after they have occurred, according to rights groups. At least 24 prisoners have been executed since March, including six over two days, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) reported. An internet blackout imposed over two months ago has hindered communication, though some families have sent messages via encrypted channels.
Among those executed was Saleh Mohammadi, a teenage national wrestling champion, in March. A family member said supporters of the government had gathered outside their home chanting slogans, causing “profound psychological trauma”. Another executed protester, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, was arrested during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom movement. He and two others—Nasser Bakerzadeh and Yaghoub Karimpour—were executed in Urmia central prison on charges including spying for Israel.
Letters and voice notes from detainees indicate torture and forced confessions. Abdollahzadeh said he endured 38 days of torture. Bakerzadeh wrote: “The death sentence has killed me… Today it is my turn. Tomorrow it will be someone else’s.” Rights groups say authorities have refused to return bodies to families, who are pressured to remain silent.
The UN special rapporteur for Iran reported that at least 1,600 people were executed in 2025, mostly for drug or murder charges, but rights groups allege authorities are using the war with the US and Israel to target critics. Hundreds more face the death penalty over January’s anti-government protests.
