Hussain Hazbavi 
Ahwaz – At least 160 people were executed in Iran during the past month, according to a new report by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which cautioned that the pace of executions in the country is accelerating to unprecedented levels.
The executions took place during the Iranian month of Mordad (July 23–August 22), averaging one execution every five hours. HRANA also documented 16 new death sentences and four confirmations of capital punishment, including that of imprisoned labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi. Three executions were carried out in public.
The rights group described the surge as a grave violation of the right to life, warning that the practice fuels a culture of violence and spreads fear and insecurity across society.
HRANA further reported dozens of prisoners facing harsh conditions, including solitary confinement, denial of medical treatment, and severe restrictions on communication with their families.
The figures mark a sharp increase compared to the same period last year, when 106 people were executed. So far in 2025, at least 818 people — including 21 women — have been executed in Iran.
Iran remains one of the few countries that continues public hangings. Earlier this month, authorities hanged a man in Fars province convicted of murdering a mother and her three children.
International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have expressed alarm at the escalation in executions since June’s 12-day war with Israel. They warn that Iranian authorities have accelerated trials and punishments in recent months.
In 2024, at least 975 executions were recorded in Iran — a 17% increase compared with the previous year — making the country one of the world’s top users of the death penalty.
