The UN denounces the use of capital punishment in Iran with more than 800 victims in eight months

By Agustin Miller

The United Nations denounced Iran this Friday for systematically resorting to the death penalty, calling it a “tool of state intimidation.” According to the agency's Human Rights Office, the country executed at least 841 people between January and August 28, 2025, with a marked increase during July, the month in which 110 cases were recorded. This rebound doubles the figure from the same month of the previous year and reinforces international concern about the current pattern of repression.

The UN spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani, maintained that the Iranian authorities ignored repeated calls to join the global consensus that seeks to eliminate the death penalty. He stressed that this year's figures confirm a significant increase in executions in the first half of 2025, reflecting a planned use of this punishment against vulnerable groups, particularly ethnic minorities and migrants.

In his speech, Shamdasani stressed that the application of the sentence of death in Iran has a disproportionate impact on historically discriminated sectors. The official explained that there are currently eleven people on death row. Six face charges of “armed rebellion” linked to the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI), while five others are convicted for their participation in the 2022 protests, which originated after death in the custody of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, detained for allegedly wearing her veil incorrectly.

The spokesperson highlighted that the death penalty is incompatible with the basic principles of the right to life and human dignity, as it creates a permanent risk of execution of innocent people. “It should never be applied to conduct protected by international human rights law,” he stated firmly.

Likewise, he reiterated the request of the United Nations United with the government Iranian to immediately stop the execution of those awaiting final sentence. Shamdasani recalled that the High Commissioner of the UN for Human Rights, Volker Turk, had already urged Tehran to impose a moratorium on the use of capital punishment, proposing that step as an indispensable condition towards definitive abolition.

The international complaint once again places the human rights situation in Iran at the center of the global debate. At a time when most countries have moved toward eliminating capital punishment, Iranian policy remains a notable setback. The UN insists that States must adopt clear commitments to protect life and guarantee judicial processes compatible with international standards.