ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations’ human rights body on Friday slammed Iran for executing more than 800 people so far this year.
"Iranian authorities have executed at least 841 people since the beginning of the year and up until 28 August 2025, according to information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office," it said in a statement, criticizing the Islamic republic for "ignoring multiple calls to join the worldwide movement towards abolition of the death penalty."
Iranian authorities executed 110 individuals in July alone, according to the UN human rights office, which said this number represents "more than double the number of people executed in July of last year and follows a major increase in executions during the first half of 2025."
"The high number of executions indicates a systematic pattern of using death penalty as a tool of State intimidation, with disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities and migrants," it said.
It warned that 11 inmates are currently facing imminent executions, charged with membership in the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) opposition group and involvement in the 2022 protests that were sparked by the death of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini.
The human rights office urged Iranian authorities to halt all future executions.
"We call on the Government of Iran not to implement the death penalty against these and other individuals on death row," it said.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk called on Tehran to "impose a moratorium on the application of capital punishment, as a step towards its abolition."
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