Weaponization of the Death Penalty

Analysis of the Killing Pattern in the January 2026 Protests

1. Extrajudicial Executions in a State of Incapacity (Hors de combat):

According to the official confession of Javad Tajik, CEO of the Behesht-e Zahra Organization, on February 18, 2026 (ISNA News Agency), it has been confirmed that “more than 70 percent of the bodies” were killed by finishing shots or “Coups de Grâce.”

• Distinction in the Severity of the Crime: This report emphasizes the fundamental difference between “shooting during a confrontation” and the “execution of the wounded.” Firing finishing shots at individuals who were incapacitated due to injury or hospitalization (under resuscitation equipment) constitutes definitive extrajudicial and targeted execution. According to the aforementioned official confession in ISNA, this practice was not a random occurrence but a systematic pattern.
• Deliberate Destruction of Evidence and Double Crime: In the case of Sam Afshari, shooting the face was used—in addition to the deprivation of the right to life—as a tool for the “destruction of the deceased’s identity” and the prevention of crime documentation, which in itself is a violation of international legal autopsy protocols (The Minnesota Protocol).

2. Enforced Disappearance and Information Quarantine:

Based on the ISNA report, the CEO of Behesht-e Zahra explicitly confessed to the “non-registration of the victims’ names in the system” and postponed it to the future.

• Legal Finding: Given that the relevant authority has confessed to possessing “specific statistics” but refuses to publish them in the public system, this action constitutes “Enforced Disappearance.” This behavior is designed to prevent the exposure of the scale of the killings and to deprive families of their right to access legal information.

3. Death Penalty Proceedings Based on Amnesty International Report (Arbitrary Deprivation of Life):

According to the official statement of Amnesty International dated February 20, 2026, the risk of execution for at least 30 individuals, including two 17-year-old children, has been documented.

• Torture-Tainted Confessions: Amnesty International emphasized that these individuals are subject to legal proceedings accompanied by “confessions tainted by torture” and other serious violations of the right to a fair trial.
• Summary Trials: According to this organization, at least 8 people were tried and sentenced to death only a few weeks after their arrest, indicating the Weaponization of the Death Penalty to instill terror.

4. Conclusion and Action Requirement:

In light of the above documentation, the urgent duties of human rights organizations and the United Nations are defined as follows:

• Urgent Appeal: The Special Rapporteur must urgently demand that the authorities of the Islamic Republic halt the execution of all death sentences issued in connection with the recent protests.
• Establishment of an Independent Investigation Committee: Given the official confession to finishing shots in 70% of the bodies, the formation of an international fact-finding committee to investigate autopsy files and identify the perpetrators of field executions is essential.
• Requirement for Information Transparency: Pressure on the government to remove names from the information quarantine of Behesht-e Zahra.
• Investigation Based on Command Responsibility: Given the scale of finishing shots (70%), the UN must prosecute those who ordered and issued instructions for this killing pattern.
• Ending Impunity: The UN is obligated to pressure for the official and transparent registration of all deceased individuals (who are currently in a state of enforced disappearance) and to prevent “information quarantine” within the Behesht-e Zahra Organization.

Appendix: International Legal Documents and Citations

This report is drafted based on the violation of the following articles and conventions which the Iranian government is obligated to observe:

1. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR):

• Article 6 (Right to Life): Prohibits the arbitrary deprivation of life. Firing a “finishing shot” at a wounded person (Hors de combat) is the most blatant form of arbitrary deprivation of life.
• Article 7 (Prohibition of Torture): Prohibits any cruel and inhuman treatment. The destruction of the deceased’s face and torture to extract confessions are clear violations of this article.
• Article 14 (Fair Trial): Emphasizes the right to have adequate time for defense and the prohibition of forced confessions. Summary Trials (lasting only a few weeks) violate this article.

2. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC):

• Article 37: Absolutely prohibits the issuance of the death penalty for individuals who were under 18 at the time of the alleged crime under any circumstances (even in emergencies).

3. International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance:

• Article 2: Defines the refusal to provide information on the fate or burial place of a deceased person by state agents as “Enforced Disappearance.” The “information quarantine” in the Behesht-e Zahra system is an instance of this crime.

4. The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death:

This protocol is the UN gold standard for investigating suspicious deaths and extrajudicial executions:

• Technical Explanation: According to this protocol, states are obligated to preserve the body and evidence of the crime for an independent autopsy. The deliberate destruction of the face (as in the case of Sam Afshari) and burial without registering names are direct violations of this protocol, as their purpose is to destroy evidence and prevent the identification of “firing patterns” (such as close-range shots).

5. Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions (Resolution 1989/65):

• These principles state that no emergency situation or order from a superior officer justifies extrajudicial executions. Based on the principle of “Command Responsibility,” those who ordered this systematic killing bear criminal responsibility.