Iran has ramped up executions of political prisoners at practically thrice the speed of the final 12 months, with at the least 47 folks hung thus far in 2026, human rights advocates warn.
Of the greater than 370 folks executed by the state within the first half of the 12 months, 47 have been political prisoners, a steep enhance from the 16 hanged by the identical time final 12 months, in line with the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group.
The IHR accused Tehran of utilizing the struggle with the US as an excuse to expedite the judicial course of and ramp up executions of political prisoners and dissidents throughout the nation.
“With the breakdown of the ceasefire and the resumption of the struggle, we’re deeply involved that the authorities will exploit the state of affairs to accentuate the execution of political prisoners,” IHR Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam stated in a press release Wednesday.
“A whole lot of political prisoners and protesters are presently dealing with capital prices, and we estimate that round 100 have already been sentenced to demise,” he added.
Amongst these in danger are brothers Fazlollah, 51, and Hadi Nikbakht, 45, who have been sentenced to demise final month for “corruption on Earth,” in line with the IHR.
The brothers have been political activists calling for a nationwide referendum to finish the Islamic regime, with police arresting the siblings final 12 months and seizing their farmland.
Their different brother, Mohammad, 48, a Christian convert, was additionally arrested in March and threatened with the demise penalty, the IHR stated.
Their sister, Niki Nikbakht, fears her brothers might be killed any day by the regime and that Hadi won’t ever get an opportunity to see his daughter, who was born after he was arrested.
“I preserve considering, what if it actually occurs? What if I by no means get to see my two brothers once more?” Niki informed CNN.
“I preserve asking myself: Why is that this occurring? Why ought to folks face this for wanting freedom? It’s extremely laborious,” she added.
Together with the political prisoners, Iran has continued to crackdown on those that participated in the January protests in opposition to the regime.
On Wednesday, Iranian state media introduced the hanging of Mohammad Amini Dehaghani, making him the 21 protesters to be executed by Tehran since March 19.
Dehaghani was accused of setting hearth to a municipal workplace constructing with a Molotov cocktail, inciting a crowd to assault a neighborhood police station, and making an attempt to fireside a stolen rifle through the chaotic January 9 protest.
Human rights teams have slammed the trial of protesters and political prisoners as a sham the place they’re usually compelled to admit whereas beneath police torture.
Footage of Dehaghani’s alleged confession was used as proof in his trial, the place he was sentenced to demise for the crime of “waging struggle in opposition to God” and “corruption on Earth,” the same old prices for the protesters executed by the Islamic republic.
