The International Organisation to Preserve Human Rights condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the latest wave of executions carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the execution of two young men in Isfahan and the deeply alarming reports that several more executions are imminent.
Among the latest victims of the Islamic Republic’s execution machinery are young people whose cases have become emblematic of the repression of a new generation of Iranians. These include Amir Hossein Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi, publicly executed by hanging this morning (28th July 2026) for the so‑called ‘crime’ of protesting.
These include Amirhossein Hatami, an 18-year-old who was executed following proceedings that fell far short of international fair trial standards; Erfan Esfandiyari, another 18-year-old who lost his life after being accused of assisting protesters; and Mehdi Khanki, aged 26, who was executed on security-related charges after a judicial process that has been widely criticised by human rights organisations.
These executions do not represent the administration of justice; rather, they constitute the systematic use of capital punishment as an instrument of terror, political repression, and intimidation of society. In the face of persistent reports of grave violations of the right to a fair trial, forced confessions, denial of effective access to legal counsel, and opaque judicial proceedings, the implementation of such death sentences amounts to a blatant breach of Iran’s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Should the reports that one of those executed was a person with a physical disability be confirmed, such an act would represent far more than a serious human rights violation. It would constitute a shocking manifestation of absolute contempt for the inherent dignity of the human person and a form of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment that profoundly offends the conscience of humanity. Silence in the face of the execution of persons with disabilities is itself an affront to humanity and a betrayal of the most fundamental values upon which human rights are founded.
Equally disturbing are the reports that a citizen was killed while participating in a peaceful protest against these executions. If confirmed, this would demonstrate that the machinery of repression extends from the courtroom to the gallows, and from the streets to the prisons, targeting simultaneously both the right to life and the fundamental right to peaceful assembly.
The International Organisation to Preserve Human Rights calls upon the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, the European Union, and all democratic governments to move beyond expressions of concern and undertake immediate, coordinated and effective action, including:
Demanding the immediate suspension of all executions in Iran; Activating international accountability mechanisms; Imposing targeted sanctions against judicial, security and political officials responsible for ordering and carrying out these executions; and Pursuing the criminal accountability of those responsible for these grave violations under international law.
Every hour of international inaction places more lives at risk. The international community must not allow executions to become a normalised instrument of governance. Immediate, practical and effective measures are urgently required to prevent further irreversible loss of life and to uphold the universal principles of human dignity, justice and the rule of law.