Iran is reportedly escalating executions amid concerns that the surge in capital punishment is being overshadowed by the conflict with the US and Israel. At least 145 people have been confirmed killed in 2026, with hundreds more executions reported but unverified.
Concerns Over Surge in Executions
Peyvand Naimi, 30, has been detained for over a month in solitary confinement following his arrest in connection with mass street protests in January. He has been subjected to a televised forced confession, mock hangings, beatings, interrogation, psychological torture, and starvation, according to reports.
Naimi has been accused of involvement in the deaths of security agents and celebrating the death of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, but his family insists he is innocent and that no formal charges have been made. He has been denied access to a lawyer, and relatives fear he now faces execution.
“My whole body was shaking when I heard about the torture he has endured,” said a close relative, Zahra Hosseini*. “It’s unbelievable. I am very worried.”
Recent Executions and Charges
Earlier this month, three men – Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi, and Saeed Davoudi – were hanged in public after being convicted of moharebeh, or waging war against God. Kourosh Keyvani, a Swedish-Iranian dual national, was executed a day earlier for spying for Israel.
The internet shutdown in Iran makes it difficult to determine the exact number of executions carried out this year. Many death sentences, or even charges that could lead to the death penalty, are not officially announced, and are instead communicated directly to prisoners and their families.
Families of those detained after the January protests are being warned by authorities not to contact anyone. Dozens of protesters are facing the death penalty, according to Amnesty International.
“We are concerned that these executions and human rights violations are overshadowed by the war,” said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of Iran Human Rights. “Right now, everyone is thinking about oil prices, and because of that the political cost of these executions is very low.”
Cases of Shervin Bagherian Jabali and Danial Niazi
Shervin Bagherian Jabali’s family learned of his death sentence through a broadcast on state television. In the footage, an interrogator explained the charge of moharebeh to the 18-year-old, who asked for clarification, to which he was told, “Execution.”
Friends of Jabali report he was subjected to three mock executions in an attempt to force a confession regarding the deaths of four Basij militia security agents.
Danial Niazi’s mother was informed on February 20 that her 18-year-old son would face trial in 10 days, according to Kurdpa, a Kurdish news agency and human rights organization. The status of his trial remains unclear due to the ongoing internet shutdown.
Niazi, a member of the Kurdish minority, has been charged with moharebeh, attempted murder, intentional assault, assembly and collusion against national security, disrupting public order, and propaganda against the state.
Awin Mostafazadeh, a spokesperson for Kurdpa, stated that Niazi’s face was bruised and swollen after being beaten, and that he required assistance from other prisoners to reach the visiting booth. He also alleges threats were made against Niazi’s family.
Further Executions and Prison Conditions
Mohammad Taghavi, 59, and Akbar Daneshvarkar, 60, were executed on Monday for baghi (armed rebellion against the state). Amnesty International previously reported their death sentences followed a grossly unfair trial marred by allegations of torture.
Babak Alipour, 34, and Pouya Ghobadi, 33, were executed in Ghezel Hesar prison near Tehran after being sentenced to death for membership in the People’s Mujahideen of Iran, an exiled opposition group, following months of interrogation and torture.
Human rights groups say state media use executions as warnings against dissent. “Since the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, Iranian authorities have deliberately weaponised the death penalty to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent,” says Mansoureh Mills, Amnesty International’s Iran researcher.
On March 23, a deputy chief of the judiciary announced that cases tied to the January protests had been reviewed, with final verdicts being carried out and no leniency granted to those convicted.
The UN special rapporteur for human rights in Iran reported at least 1,639 executions in 2025, compared with 975 in 2024. Civil society organizations estimate the number of executions last year to be over 2,000. The UN notes that only 7% of executions are officially announced.
Reports have emerged of severe overcrowding and denial of basic necessities in Iranian prisons during the conflict with the US and Israel, as well as enforced disappearance and torture.
Reza Younesi posted on X that his brother was among 22 prisoners forcibly removed from Ghezel Hesar prison on Sunday night, with families receiving no information about their whereabouts.
Hosseini, a relative of Naimi, stated, “The only thing that could possibly make a difference was to be his voice and to make sure everybody knows what’s going on. When someone is committing a crime in a dark place, they feel comfortable, but as soon as you put the spotlight on them, they get scared.”
* name changed
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