Iran’s barbaric execution campaign under “moderate” President Pezeshkian has seen over 65% of this year’s 1,000 state killings, including children, occur since his regime took power.
At a Glance
- Approximately 1,000 prisoners have been executed in Iran in 2024, including 32 women and six juveniles, with 65% occurring under President Pezeshkian’s watch
- The UN Special Rapporteur has classified Iran’s executions of political prisoners as “ongoing crimes against humanity”
- Political prisoner Mehdi Hassani faces imminent execution despite a previous promise of retrial
- 92% of executions are conducted in secret and unreported in Iranian state media
- The regime disproportionately targets political dissidents, religious minorities, and participants in anti-government protests
Iran’s Execution Machine Accelerates Under “Moderate” President
While the Biden administration and European leaders had been falling over themselves praising supposed “moderates” in Iran’s government, the Islamic regime’s execution chambers have been operating overtime. The numbers tell the horrifying truth: approximately 1,000 prisoners executed in 2024 alone, with a staggering 65% of these killings taking place since President Masoud Pezeshkian took office. Among the executed are 32 women and six juveniles – children being hanged by a regime that claims to represent Islamic values while violating even the most basic human rights principles recognized worldwide.
The execution surge represents a calculated strategy by the Iranian regime to crush dissent following widespread protests, particularly the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement that swept the country. A joint statement submitted by NGOs to the UN Human Rights Council has sounded the alarm on this barbaric campaign, revealing that over 50 political prisoners currently face execution. Even more disturbing, 92% of these executions are conducted in secret, deliberately hidden from international scrutiny and unreported in Iranian media.
The Case of Mehdi Hassani: Justice Denied
The plight of political prisoner Mehdi Hassani exemplifies the regime’s brutal tactics. Despite a previous Supreme Court decision accepting his request for retrial, Iranian authorities have now rejected it, leaving him at imminent risk of execution. This blatant manipulation of the judicial system exposes how Iran uses legal proceedings as a facade while conducting what amounts to state-sanctioned murder of political opponents. The betrayal has devastated his family and sent chills through the political prisoner community.
“It means I cried out once again, held onto hope once again, and yet, our rights were once again the easiest to trample.” – Mehdi Hassani’s daughter
Sixty-eight political prisoners across Iran have denounced the Supreme Court’s decision as “state-sanctioned murder.” Meanwhile, over 260 international experts have urged the UN to take immediate action while Iranian authorities continue threatening prisoners’ lives. Despite these appeals, the international community’s response has been pathetically inadequate, with diplomatic niceties trumping concrete action to stop the bloodshed.
Crimes Against Humanity Exposed
The UN Special Rapporteur has delivered a damning assessment of Iran’s execution practices, classifying the 1988 mass executions of political prisoners as ongoing crimes against humanity. The report explicitly states that there is “considerable evidence that mass killings, torture, and other inhumane acts against members of the PMOI (MEK) were conducted with genocidal intent.” Yet despite this clear international condemnation, the executions continue unabated, with the regime now targeting a new generation of dissidents.
“The hanging of political prisoners and children reflects the violent and unlawful lengths the Iranian authorities will go to sow fear and crush dissent.” – CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi
Iran’s execution practices particularly target the most vulnerable groups. Religious and ethnic minorities face disproportionate persecution, with many executed on vague charges like “enmity against God” or “corruption on Earth.” Drug offenses are also frequently cited as justification for executions, though the real motivation is often political control. The regime’s willingness to execute juveniles places it among a tiny minority of nations that still engage in this barbaric practice, flouting international law prohibiting the execution of those who were minors when their alleged crimes occurred.
America’s Response: Time for Action, Not Words
President Trump has consistently advocated a strong stance against the Iranian regime’s brutality. The United States must implement targeted sanctions against Iranian officials directly responsible for these human rights abuses. Every diplomatic engagement with Iran should come with strict conditions addressing human rights violations, with severe economic and diplomatic consequences for non-compliance. The international community must also establish an accountability mechanism and invoke universal jurisdiction to prosecute Iranian officials responsible for these atrocities.
“World leaders must warn the Iranian authorities that they must immediately cease these executions, particularly of minors, or risk severe political and economic consequences.” – CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi
The evidence is overwhelming, the moral imperative clear. Iran’s execution campaign represents one of the most egregious ongoing human rights violations in the world today. The time for diplomatic niceties and empty condemnations has passed. Only coordinated international action with real consequences will force the Iranian regime to end its campaign of terror against its own citizens. The lives of Mehdi Hassani and countless others hang in the balance while the world decides whether to act or merely watch in silence.
