Iran is carrying out a record number of executions just days before crucial nuclear negotiations with the United States are set to continue.
Reports from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) reveal that at least 22 people were executed this week alone. Since the election of President Masoud Pezeshkian in July, nearly 1,100 executions have taken place, averaging one every 5.5 hours. This marks a 20 percent increase compared to last year’s figures.
The surge in executions comes at a time of rising tension within Iran. Observers believe that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is trying to stamp out any chance of an uprising before Donald Trump, now back in office, possibly demands an end to the executions as a condition for resuming nuclear talks. Discussions between the US and Iran are set to continue in Oman this Saturday, and experts warn that the sharp increase in state killings must not be ignored during negotiations.
Adding to concerns, five prominent political prisoners were recently moved from Evin Prison to Qezelhessar Prison, a facility known for carrying out executions. The prisoners—Vahid Bani Amerian, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, and Shahrokh Daneshvarkar—had been sentenced to death on charges related to alleged ties with opposition groups and actions deemed hostile to national security.
Iranian opposition figures and human rights activists are calling for immediate international action. Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the NCRI, has urged world leaders to condition any engagement with Iran on halting torture and executions. She accused the regime of escalating violence in a desperate attempt to cling to power amid regional setbacks and growing internal dissent.
In Britain, Baroness Nuala O’Loan, a crossbench peer and long-time advocate for human rights in Iran, warned against allowing Iran’s human rights abuses to go unchecked for the sake of nuclear diplomacy. She stressed that human rights must be a central part of any serious talks, pointing out that Iran remains the world’s top country for executions per capita. Amnesty International reports that more than 64 percent of confirmed executions worldwide in 2024 happened in Iran alone.
The NCRI has called on the United Nations, European Union, and other international bodies to act urgently to prevent further executions, particularly of political prisoners sentenced under vague and harsh charges. Deputy Director Hossein Abedini issued a plea for the global community to intervene, saying swift action could save lives.
As nuclear discussions near, pressure mounts on US and international negotiators to confront Iran’s violent crackdown. Many warn that ignoring the regime’s actions would risk granting impunity to a government that continues to violate basic human rights at an alarming rate.