According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, Iran has more than doubled the number of state executions in 2024, with at least 612 people executed compared to 297 in the same period last year. This dramatic increase has alarmed international observers, particularly as the country continues to face **tense nuclear negotiations with the U.S.** and **calls for regime change from Israel.**
The UN Human Rights Office confirmed these figures, emphasizing the alarming trend: **at least 48 people are currently on death row, with 12 at imminent risk of execution.** This surge in executions, especially of **minority groups** and dissenters, has drawn widespread condemnation. The **United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk** called the situation ‘alarming,’ stating that the death penalty is ‘incompatible with the right to life and irreconcilable with human dignity.’
More than 40% of those executed this year were convicted of **drug-related offenses**, while many faced charges like ‘enmity against God’ and ‘corruption on earth’ — terms often used by Tehran to **target political opponents and silence dissent.** According to Amnesty International, the executions highlight how Iran has **used the death penalty as a tool of political repression** during times of national crisis, to ‘crush dissent and spread fear.’
These escalating executions have come just one day after **Iran carried out the executions of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani**, both allegedly linked to the opposition **People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).** Their deaths were condemned by **Maryam Rajavi**, president-elect of the **National Council of Resistance of Iran** (a dissident group based in Paris), who cited the final words of Ehsani as a defiant statement against the regime. “We will never—under any circumstances—surrender to this bloodthirsty and criminal regime,” he said.
Further analysis by the UN indicates that **Iran has executed over 1,000 prisoners in 2024**, the **highest total in three decades**, with the trend intensifying since President **Massoud Pezeshkian** took office. This has led to increased scrutiny over the **rule of law** in Iran, with the UN warning that **Iran is looking to expand its use of the death penalty** and is under review for a **new espionage bill** that could redefine what constitutes ‘collaboration with hostile states.’
The bill threatens to **criminalize online communication** or working with foreign media as acts of ‘ideological alignment’ with hostile states, punishable by **death**. This has been criticized by the UN as an **expansion of repressive power**. Meanwhile, **Israel has continued its calls for regime change in Iran**, with Prime Minister **Benjamin Netanyahu** asserting that recent strikes were directed at the government, not the Iranian people.
“This bill dangerously broadens the scope of capital punishment for espionage,” warned Volker Türk, urging Iran to **join the global movement against the death penalty** and **impose a moratorium on all executions.** The call for a global moratorium highlights the **international outcry** against Iran’s escalating use of the death penalty. It also underscores the **deepening tension** between Iran and the international community, as well as the **increasing risks to political dissidents** within the country. The situation represents a **major human rights concern** and has intensified **calls for accountability and reform** from both the U.S. and international organizations.