Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed grave concern over the sharp rise in executions in Iran, calling on the Islamic Republic authorities to immediately halt all executions.
In a statement released on Wednesday, August 5, Türk urged the regime to establish an immediate moratorium on the death penalty with a view to its ultimate abolition.
According to the UN statement, at least 56 people have been executed in Iran on national security-related charges since March 18. Of those, 27 cases were directly connected to the nationwide protests of January 2026.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) further noted that more than 100 other individuals face imminent execution on similar charges.
Türk also warned of a dramatic surge in drug-related executions, which account for the largest share of Iran’s annual execution tally.
In its latest annual report, Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) recorded 795 drug-related executions, a 58% increase compared with 503 cases in the previous year’s report. Additionally, at least 136 individuals have been executed on drug-related charges since December 31, 2025.
The High Commissioner emphasized that the Islamic Republic continues to weaponize capital punishment to “instill fear and terror among the public and crush political dissent.”
He described the persistent lack of fair-trial guarantees and due process in capital cases as “deeply troubling.”
Türk highlighted credible reports of forced confessions extracted under torture or ill-treatment, noting that several executions were carried out in public or within weeks of arrest. He specifically referenced reports in which 12 defendants were sentenced to death following a single three-hour closed-door hearing.
Reiterating that the death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and human dignity, Türk declared that it “has no place in today’s world.”
The UN statement comes amid a renewed wave of protest-related executions across Iran. Following the public execution of two additional demonstrators in Isfahan, anti-execution campaigns under hashtags such as “Stop Executions in Iran” and “No to Execution” have gained momentum across social media platforms.