Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a stark appeal to Iran on Monday, urging an immediate cessation of the death penalty in response to a worrying increase in executions. Statistics released by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reveal a drastic escalation, with 612 executions recorded in the first half of 2025, a significant rise from the 297 executions during the same timeframe in 2024.

Highlighting the severity of the situation, Türk noted that over 40 percent of those executed were convicted on drug-related charges. Many others were sentenced under broadly interpreted laws like “enmity against God” or “corruption on earth,” which are frequently used to suppress opposition. The High Commissioner also expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process, pointing out that many death sentences were handed down following secretive trials that lacked fundamental fair-trial standards.

Further compounding the human rights crisis, Türk criticized a proposed espionage bill currently under review by Iran’s Guardian Council. If passed, this legislation would extend the death penalty to cover activities such as online interactions with foreign media or adopting foreign ideologies. He called for the immediate withdrawal of this perilous bill, stressing that the death penalty violates the inherent right to life and human dignity.

The alarming rise in executions was also spotlighted in a report by the Special Rapporteur on Iran at the UN Human Rights Council, which documented over 900 executions in 2024, positioning Iran as the world’s leading per capita executor. The report underscored that nearly half of these were for drug-related offenses, with an alarming increase in executions of women and individuals involved in protests.

Independent experts and human rights NGOs have echoed Türk’s concerns. A notable case involves Kurdish activist Pakhshan Azizi, whose death sentence was upheld despite international outcry over alleged torture and inadequate legal representation. Her case, critics argue, did not meet the international law requirement of being reserved for the "most serious crimes."

Human Rights Watch has also raised alarms, reporting a 75 percent increase in executions by May 2025 compared to the previous year, with 113 executions occurring in just the first 25 days of May. This surge has prompted urgent calls from the international community for heightened pressure on Iran to respect human rights norms and halt the use of capital punishment.

As these developments unfold, the global community watches closely, hoping for a shift towards the abolition of the death penalty in Iran and a move towards greater respect for human rights and judicial fairness.