The gallows in Iran aren't just about crime. They're about staying in power. If you've been watching the news lately, you've likely seen the uptick in reports regarding executions across the Islamic Republic. It's not a coincidence or a random spike in judicial activity. It's a calculated strategy. The Iranian government is currently executing people at a rate we haven't seen in years, and the primary target is anyone who dares to think differently.
I've followed Middle Eastern geopolitics long enough to know that when the regime feels a chill, the rest of the country feels a noose. We're seeing a terrifying surge where "political executions" isn't just a phrase—it's a daily reality for activists, protesters, and ethnic minorities. This isn't about law and order. It's about fear.
The chilling math of state-sanctioned killing
The numbers coming out of organizations like Iran Human Rights and Amnesty International are staggering. In the first half of 2024 alone, hundreds of people were put to death. While many of these are officially categorized as drug-related offenses, human rights experts know better. The regime often uses non-political charges to execute people who participated in protests, hoping to avoid the international outcry that follows a "political" death sentence.
It's a shell game. One day, a man is arrested for "moharebeh"—enmity against God. The next, he's being hanged in a public square or a closed prison. The goal is to send a message to the Gen Z protesters who rocked the streets during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement. The message is simple: stay home or die.
Why the surge is happening today
You might wonder why this is peaking now. The 2022 protests sparked by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini didn't just fade away. They changed the soul of the country. Even though the streets are quieter, the defiance is everywhere. Women are walking without hijabs. People are whispering in cafes. The regime knows it has lost the hearts of the youth.
When a government loses its legitimacy, it doubles down on force. Execution is the ultimate tool of the weak. By killing those who dissent, the authorities are trying to prove they're still in control. It's a desperate attempt to patch a sinking ship with the blood of its citizens.
The targeting of ethnic minorities
If you're a Baluch or a Kurd in Iran, your risk of ending up on death row is significantly higher. Data shows that ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented in execution statistics. The regime views these border regions as hotspots for separatism and unrest. Executing people from these communities serves a dual purpose: it punishes the "troublemakers" and warns the rest of the minority population against seeking more autonomy.
It’s a brutal form of demographic management. By framing these executions as "security measures" against "terrorists," the state tries to justify what is essentially systematic liquidation.
The farce of the Iranian judicial system
Let's be honest about the trials. Calling them "trials" is generous. Most of these cases happen behind closed doors in Revolutionary Courts. You don't get a lawyer of your choice. You don't get to see the evidence. Often, the only "evidence" is a confession extracted through physical or psychological torture.
Imagine being held in solitary confinement for months, beaten, and threatened until you sign a paper saying you worked for a foreign intelligence agency. That paper becomes your death warrant. The judges in these courts aren't legal scholars; they're ideologues hand-picked for their loyalty to the Supreme Leader. They don't care about justice. They care about "preserving the system."
International silence and the shadow of war
The world is distracted. Between the conflict in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, Iran's internal human rights crisis often gets pushed to the back page. The regime knows this. They use regional instability as a smokescreen. When the eyes of the West are on drone strikes or oil prices, the hangman works overtime in Evin Prison.
Diplomatic pressure exists, but it's often toothless. Sanctions are already at a breaking point, and the regime has learned to live with them. Without a unified, loud, and sustained global outcry that specifically targets the individuals signing these execution orders, the killings won't stop.
What people get wrong about "drug charges"
A common mistake is thinking that if someone is executed for drugs, it's not a political act. In Iran, the lines are blurred. The state uses drug laws as a convenient catch-all. It's easier to hang a Kurdish activist on a fabricated opium charge than to explain to the UN why you're killing him for wanting the right to speak his own language. It's a PR move. It's cynical and it's effective.
How to actually help the situation
Scrolling past these headlines feels bad, but doing nothing is worse. If you want to move beyond just reading, you have to hit the regime where it hurts: their image and their international standing.
- Support documented reporting. Follow groups like the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center and Iran Human Rights (IHR). They do the dangerous work of verifying names and dates that the state tries to hide.
- Pressure your representatives. If you're in the US, UK, or EU, ask your officials why human rights are being sidelined in favor of nuclear talks. The lives of protesters shouldn't be a bargaining chip.
- Amplify the names. The regime hates it when prisoners become famous. When a name like Toomaj Salehi or Sharifeh Mohammadi goes viral, it creates a "cost" for the execution. It makes the state think twice about the fallout.
The situation is dire, but it’s not hopeless. The fact that the regime has to kill so many people just to stay in charge proves how fragile they actually are. They are afraid of their own people. That fear is the most honest thing about the Iranian government today. Stop looking at these executions as a sign of strength—they're the clearest evidence of a system that's already failed its people.
