United Nations: Iran has carried out at least 21 executions and detained over 4,000 individuals since the Middle East conflict erupted, according to the United Nations on Wednesday.
The war ignited by US-Israeli strikes in late February has seen nine executions tied to the January 2026 protests that swept through Iran, 10 more for purported ties to opposition groups, and two on espionage accusations, the UN human rights office reported.
Meanwhile, authorities have arrested more than 4,000 on national security charges, the agency noted, according to AFP.
Among those held, many have endured enforced disappearances, torture, or “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,” such as coerced confessions—often broadcast on television—and simulated executions.
“I am appalled that — on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict — the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.
“I call on the authorities to halt all further executions, establish a moratorium on the use of capital punishment, fully ensure due process and fair trial guarantees, and immediately release those arbitrarily detained.”
