Iranian authorities carried out a series of mass executions this week, taking the lives of 27 individuals over the course of three days, highlighting a troubling escalation in the use of capital punishment in the country.
9 Executions on Wednesday, December 18
On Wednesday, December 18, Iranian authorities executed nine prisoners:
Qezelhessar Prison: Hassan Yousofi, Majid Jamshidi, Sohrab Ahmadipour, Abdolbari Pakouhi, Farzad Norouzi, and Rastgooie Kandelaj.
Hamedan: Mohammad Shams, aged 36.
Mahabad: Jamal Nabooreh and Rahim Barin.
Rahim Barin was reportedly executed on charges of murder.
18 Executions on Sunday, December 15
On Sunday, December 15, 2024, at least 18 prisoners, including one woman, were executed in a single day in what has been described as a mass execution across various prisons in Iran.
Additional Executions in December
Further executions were reported earlier in the week, including Behzad Seyedi Boukani, who was executed on Monday, December 16, in Miandoab. Other executions in December have been documented across multiple provinces, including Yazd, Gorgan, Tabriz, Nahavand, and Semnan.
Since the beginning of President Massoud Pezeshkian’s tenure in July 2024, the execution toll has reached at least 638 individuals, including 22 women.
The Iranian regime’s increasing reliance on executions comes amid mounting internal and external pressures, including its response to domestic unrest and regional instability following the fall of its ally, the Syrian regime. Critics accuse Iranian authorities of using mass executions to stifle dissent and intimidate the population.
Iran HRM urges the international community to condemn Iran’s execution policies and hold its leaders accountable for these widespread violations.
The continued use of executions as a tool of repression underscores the urgent need for international attention and justice for the victims and their families. Silence in the face of such atrocities risks enabling further abuses.
