Amnesty International Calls for Urgent Pressure on Iran to Halt Executions

ARK News.. Amnesty International has urged United Nations member states to urgently pressure Iran to halt executions following what the organization described as a “horrifying surge” in the use of the death penalty this year.

According to Amnesty’s report, more than 1,000 people have been executed in Iran since the start of 2025, averaging nearly four executions per day — the highest rate recorded since 1989.

Hussein Baoumi, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said Iranian authorities are “using the death penalty as a weapon to instill fear, crush dissent, and punish marginalized groups.”

The report noted that many executions follow grossly unfair trials, marred by allegations of torture, coerced confessions, and a lack of due process.

Amnesty also highlighted that ethnic and vulnerable communities — including Kurds, Baluchis, Ahwazi Arabs, and Afghan nationals — have been disproportionately affected by the executions.

The organization called on UN member states to take decisive action during the upcoming Third Committee dialogue on Iran, scheduled for October 30, urging governments to strongly condemn the alarming rise in executions and demand an immediate moratorium on all death sentences.

Amnesty further appealed to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other relevant international bodies to pressure Iranian authorities to reform drug-related laws in line with international human rights standards.

Additionally, the organization encouraged states to pursue accountability for Iranian officials involved in unlawful executions through universal jurisdiction and other international legal mechanisms.

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