Iranian authorities began a new wave of executions of people considered political prisoners in March, while the US and Israel carried out airstrikes against the Islamic republic.
The clerical regime has executed 14 people since the war began in late February.
On March 18 – two days before the Persian New Year Nowruz – Iran executed dual Iranian-Swedish citizen Kouroush Kivani on charges of spying for Israel.
He was arrested last year for photographing sensitive areas during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
A day later, three young men were hanged for their involvement in mass protests in January, Iran’s first executions related to nationwide demonstrations that ended in a bloody crackdown.
In the following days, several other people were executed on charges of insurrection over membership of the banned opposition group People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK).
Even on “Sizda Bedar” – the 13th and final day of the Persian New Year celebration – executions continued. Amirhossein, 18, who was detained during nationwide unrest in January, was hanged.
More executions took place in the days following Nowruz celebrations.
Dozens of prisoners face imminent execution
Raha Bahrain, Amnesty International’s Iran specialist, said “at least two dozen” political prisoners face imminent threat of the death penalty.
“These include people arrested during the January protests, those on trial linked to the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ movement, and people with real or alleged ties to Kurdish parties, the People’s Mujahideen or other opposition groups,” he told DW.
“They also include people who were forced to ‘confess’ under torture and now face vague charges such as espionage or moharrebeh (war against God), rebellion (rebellion against an Islamic government), or ‘corruption on earth,'” the expert said.
Even before the US-Israeli war against Iran began, Amnesty warned that at least 30 prisoners linked to the January protests were at risk of execution – including two minors. Seven of them have since been hanged.
A familiar pattern?
Legal scholar Afrooz Maghazi described the surge in executions during the war as “completely predictable” and a repetition of a pattern that was already evident in the 1980s.
He also warned of a “dangerous trend” that democratic regimes are taking advantage of political rhetoric from abroad – such as statements by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – to legitimize domestic repression.
If there is talk abroad of “rebel groups” or “forces loyal to the monarchist movement within the army or military institutions,” the Iranian government could use those narratives to portray civilian protests as an “armed campaign” or “foreign-directed terrorism,” Maghazi told DW.
He also pointed to an increase in the number of “unknown persons” – people about whom no information exists and who apparently had no access to sensitive data – being executed on espionage charges since the war began.
Maghazi described this as a new development, saying that the regime wanted to project an artificial “image of strength” in a time of conflict.
What can people do abroad?
Of the 14 people executed in the past six weeks, six were executed for alleged membership in the banned group MEK. Maghazi said that Iranian officials were deliberately using the group to portray the entire protest movement as “militaristic”.
People living abroad need to reject the Iranian regime’s narrative, Maghji said.
“Continue to emphasize that those executed are teachers, students and civilians – not armed combatants,” he underlined.
The expert also stressed the need to increase the political costs for Tehran.
“International negotiations with Tehran must be clearly conditional on stopping the executions,” he said.
there is a limit to foreign pressure
According to rights groups, Iran is the world’s deadliest executioner after China.
According to Iran Human Rights (IHR) figures, it executed at least 1,500 people last year.
Since 1979, the UN General Assembly has passed 72 resolutions and the UN Human Rights Council has passed 17 resolutions encouraging Iran to address serious concerns regarding human rights violations in the country.
Yet, according to Amnesty expert Bahrain, the government remains completely indifferent.
He said the regime deliberately uses the death penalty to intimidate people – especially now that the population is suffering the devastation caused by the war.
While public pressure plays an important role in democracies, Bahrain also noted that it is especially difficult to draw attention to executions during war, as the media and public focus more on military developments.
Role of non-Western countries
Bahrain emphasizes the importance of countries that have economic ties with Iran – particularly in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
He said Iranians living there should try to raise awareness about the issue among local media and civil society.
Rights activists also urge the international community to make clear to the Iranian judiciary and security authorities that war does not equate to permanent impunity for their crimes.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic