Mohammad Yousefi, Activist for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran (X)
In a dramatic turn of events, the Iranian regime has been forced to retreat in the face of unprecedented resistance from death-row inmates and their families. On Sunday, October 19 (27 Mehr), after seven days of hunger strike by 1,500 prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, six inmates who had been transferred to solitary confinement for imminent execution were returned to their ward. This marked a rare concession by a regime known for its brutal repression.
Judiciary representative Asadi—appeared before the inmates. Asadi claimed executions would be halted for several months and promised legal reforms regarding drug-related death sentences. He also attempted to discredit the hunger strike, suggesting it was orchestrated by the opposition (MEK). Prisoners responded defiantly:
“Change the law. Iran doesn’t belong only to you. This law was wrong from the beginning.”
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI, saluted the prisoners and their families declared:
“Resistance is the only path forward against a regime built on executions and massacres, a regime that will never abandon repression willingly. Collective persistence and protest have forced this inhumane regime to retreat, but the struggle must continue, stronger than ever, until this regime is overthrown.”
Executions as a Tool of Survival
While the world moves toward human rights progress and the abolition of the death penalty,Iran under the rule of the clerical regime continues to record one of the highest execution rates in the world.
These executions are not merely grave violations of human rights; they are also a tool to preserve power for a regime struggling with internal and external crises.
According to credible reports from organizations such as Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the pace of executions in Iran has intensified dramatically.
The NCRI reports that from the beginning of 2025 to mid-October, over 1,000 executions have been recorded—an average of four per day. This marks a significant increase compared to 2024, when 975 executions were documented.
From October 2024 to mid-2025, a total of 1,695 executions took place, with 957 occurring in just the first six and a half months of 2025. Many of those executed are political prisoners, religious minorities, and women. By October 2025, at least 41 women had been executed—a record number.
Seventeen political prisoners in Iran are facing imminent execution due to their alleged affiliations with the country’s principal opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). This alarming escalation follows the execution of Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani in July 2025, who were similarly condemned for their purported links to the MEK.
These cases reflect a broader pattern of repression targeting dissidents and civil society actors. Human rights organizations and international observers have repeatedly condemned the use of capital punishment as a tool of political intimidation.
Executions as the last grip of power
The clerical regime, which for years relied on its proxy forces to project power across the Middle East, has now lost its strategic leverage in the region. As international pressure and military setbacks have weakened its influence, the regime has turned inward, tightening its grip on the domestic front. Yet within Iran, widespread discontent prevails: runaway inflation, unemployment, corruption, and suppression of freedoms have fueled public anger.
The regime fears that this growing discontent could erupt into another nationwide uprising, as seen in previous years. Consequently, repression—through executions, imprisonment, and torture—remains its only remaining tool of control.
The Iranian regime is incapable of responding to its citizens’ basic needs and demands. Instead of investing in education, healthcare, and the economy, itfunnels resources into internal repression, support for terrorism, and its nuclear program.
This approach not only weakens the regime further but also underscores its inability to survive this cycle of violence.
Executions, as its final stronghold, may delay its collapse but cannot save it.
A Campaign That Deserves Global Support
Now that prisoners in Iran have reached a small part of their demands, The international community cannot remain indifferent to executions in Iran anymore. The human rights situation in Iran must be made a top global priority, and all relations with the regime should be conditioned upon the complete abolition of the death penalty. Furthermore, the struggle of Iranian youth and the Resistance Units who fight back the Iranian regime atrocities must be recognized. The United Nations, the European Union, and members of the UN Security Council must take urgent measures to end this cycle of violence.
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