The Islamic Republic of Iran has intensified its crackdown on dissidents and activists, ramping up the number of executions. However, the true extent of these actions is likely concealed due to the regime’s strict internet censorship and communication blackouts.
Following the January uprisings against the regime, Tehran has responded with a bloody campaign against its adversaries. This brutal suppression has been marked by a significant increase in executions as the government seeks to silence opposition voices.
According to the Iran Human Rights Society, there have been 784 executions recorded so far in 2026. A representative from the organization informed News Agency that these statistics show a sharply increasing trend in executions since March. Notably, the execution of political prisoners has surged to levels not seen in the past 37 years, highlighting the regime’s growing intolerance for dissent.
‘KILLING OFF THE COUNTRY’: IRAN EXECUTES DOZENS, ARRESTS 4,000+ IN WAR CRACKDOWN
A poignant scene unfolded in Paris, France, on May 13, 2025, where a woman laid flowers in memory of execution victims in Iran during a rally. This act of solidarity underscores the international concern over Iran’s human rights violations. (Siavosh Hosseini/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
A U.S. State Department official expressed awareness of the alarming reports regarding the recent rise in executions in Iran. The official strongly condemned the Iranian regime’s use of capital punishment as a tool to suppress individuals exercising their basic human rights, including those peacefully protesting for a better future.
The official said that “for decades, Iranians have been subjected to torture and sham trials resulting in executions and severe punishments, often with coerced confessions as the only evidence presented against them.”
According to information provided to News Agency by the Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) on June 4, the Islamic Republic of Iran executed at least 18 prisoners between May 31 and June 1. These included 12 prisoners hanged on May 31, and an additional six prisoners executed on June 1, one of whom was said to be “hanged in public with utmost brutality.”
The NCRI has counted a total of 32 executions between March 19 and June 1. These included eight members of Iranian dissident organization People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOE/MEK) and 24 participants in Iran’s January 2026 protests.
In documents provided to News Agency, the NCRI said on June 7 that there was “an imminent risk of execution” for five political prisoners in the Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, four of whom were sentenced to death because they were charged with being members of PMOI/MEK.
Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI, posted on X a call for “urgent action” from the U.N. “to prevent the execution.”
Days earlier on June 2, following two other executions against January protesters, Rajavi said on X that the “clerical regime has committed another horrific crime in Iran.” She called on the U.N. Security Council and European Union “to decisively condemn these criminal executions and take effective action to stop the killing of political prisoners and protesters in Iran.”
The Iran Human Rights Society echoed NCRI’s account of 18 recent executions between May 31 and June 1. Their representative explained that despite the internet blackout, they receive reports from “a network of prison sources, prisoners’ families, lawyers, and local contacts” and explained that “all reports are reviewed and cross-checked through multiple independent sources before publication.” Though they say “internet restrictions make documentation more difficult,” they stated they “continue to receive, verify, and document information.”
A hanging rope seen displayed during the rally in Paris, France on May 13, 2025. (Siavosh Hosseini/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Alp Toker, the director of NetBlocks, a global internet monitor, told News Agency that “internet connectivity in Iran is largely restored but the service that is available remains limited compared to the state of things before the protests and the war this year. For most users, in practice, that means international access is slow with indications of throttling and there’s also increased filtering, particularly targeting messaging apps.
“It’s been in this limbo state since the restoration with no significant change for better or worse,” he said.
However, the Iran Human Rights Society representative noted that the actual number of executions is “almost certainly” higher than the figure they have captured. “The ruling authorities in Iran frequently carry out executions in secret and do not publicly announce many of them,” the representative explained. Additionally, the representative added that “a significant number of executions, particularly in remote areas or locations with limited access to information, may remain undocumented or reach us only after a considerable delay.”
The representative also noted that the quantity of executions the Iran Human Rights Society documents “has consistently been lower than the actual number carried out.”
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Mai Sato, did not respond to News Agency’s request for comment on the increased executions in Iran.
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