{"id":2042,"date":"2026-08-05T13:30:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T13:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2042"},"modified":"2026-08-05T13:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T13:30:13","slug":"un-rights-chief-says-iran-executed-at-least-56-people-since-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2042","title":{"rendered":"UN rights chief says Iran executed at least 56 people since March"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__divider\">\n<div class=\"listen-to-article\"><button class=\"listen-to-article__button\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><title>Listen<\/title>Listen (3 mins)<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__update-reading-list-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"update-reading-list\">\n<p class=\"update-reading-list__button-text\">Save<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div 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href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=UN%20rights%20chief%20says%20Iran%20executed%20at%20least%2056%20people%20since%20March&amp;source=sharethiscom&amp;related=sharethis&amp;via=AJEnglish&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F3lzkz1\"><title>x<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row u-hidden--desktop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Whatsapp\" href=\"\/\/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F3lzkz1\"><title>whatsapp-stroke<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row copylink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Copy link\" href=\"https:\/\/aje.news\/3lzkz1\"><title>copylink<\/title><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><title>google<\/title><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><title>info<\/title><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-featured__media\">\n<figure class=\"article-featured-image\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/reuters_6a732613-1785931283.jpg?resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"People hold banners reading &quot;Stop execution in Iran&quot;.\"><\/div><figcaption>Supporters of Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi gather at the Lincoln Memorial to call for an immediate end to executions, torture, and political repression in Iran, in Washington, DC [File: Ken Cedeno\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-info m--t-20 m--desktop-b-30 m--b-mobile-20\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\"><a class=\"avatar\" aria-hidden=\"true\" href=\"\/author\/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2017-06-08T131939Z_1189275883_RC11B0FE7F20_RTRMADP_3_GULF-QATAR-JAZEERA-1714943623.jpg?resize=96%2C96&amp;quality=80\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-content\">\n<div class=\"contributors-list contributors-list--byline\"><span class=\"contributors-list__by-prefix\">By <\/span><a href=\"\/author\/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458\">Al Jazeera Staff<\/a> and <!-- -->Reuters<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<div class=\"date-simple\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 5 Aug 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">5 Aug 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wysiwyg wysiwyg--all-content\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p id=\"p-rc_11d139e89997efce-57\" data-path-to-node=\"0\">At least 56 people have been executed in Iran on national security-related charges since March 19, including 27 in cases linked to nationwide protests at the start of the year, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk says<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"1\">In a statement released on Wednesday detailing <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/22\/irans-judiciary-warns-against-infiltrators-announces-new-executions\">a surge in capital punishment<\/a>, Turk warned that state-sanctioned executions were being deployed to crush public opposition.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"more-on__list\">\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 1 of 3<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/26\/what-lies-ahead-for-iran-as-scope-of-us-war-grows-beyond-hormuz\">What lies ahead for Iran\u2019s economy as scope of US war grows beyond Hormuz?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 2 of 3<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/27\/why-has-the-us-halted-its-bombing-of-iran\">Why has the US halted its bombing of Iran?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 3 of 3<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/economy\/2026\/7\/28\/why-has-irans-economy-not-collapsed-under-us-war-pressure\">How has Iran\u2019s economy survived despite US war pressure<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p id=\"p-rc_11d139e89997efce-58\" data-path-to-node=\"2\">\u201cI am alarmed by the rise in executions and death sentences issued in Iran since March, and that capital punishment continues to be used to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent,\u201d Turk said. \u201cI urge the authorities to urgently halt all executions and move towards the abolition of the death penalty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said more than 100 other people remain at risk of execution on similar security charges, while executions for drug-related offences continue to be carried out at an \u201calarming rate\u201d.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"4\">Turk highlighted systemic judicial failures across the Iranian legal system, emphasising that a \u201cpersistent lack of fair trial and due process guarantees are deeply troubling\u201d.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display:block;position:relative;min-width:0px;max-width:770px\">\n<\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\">According to reports received by the rights office, confessions leading to capital verdicts have allegedly been obtained under torture and other ill-treatment.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\">The UN also voiced alarm over the speed and secrecy of judicial proceedings, noting that several executions were reportedly carried out only weeks after arrest, while 12 defendants were sentenced to death following a single three-hour closed-door hearing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"container--ads in-article-ads\">\n<div class=\"ads\"><span class=\"ads__title\"> Advertisement <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"6\">Rights monitor Amnesty International reported in July that the lethal wave stems from a broader state campaign following a major popular uprising in January.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"6\">Amnesty warned that Iranian authorities are unleashing executions to \u201cpunish and suppress dissent and project an image of strength and absolute control\u201d, documenting dozens of arbitrary executions handed down by Revolutionary Courts without basic trial safeguards.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"6\">The nationwide demonstrations erupted in <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/1\/12\/what-we-know-about-the-protests-sweeping-iran\">late December and January<\/a> after a collapse in the value of the Iranian rial led to hyperinflation and severe food price spikes, rapidly evolving from economic strikes into widespread antigovernment protests demanding political reform.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7\">Highlighting the broader human rights situation, UN experts have repeatedly called on Tehran to end arbitrary detentions and reform its penal code.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">Iranian officials have rejected UN criticisms of their judicial system, maintaining that capital punishment is a lawful measure applied strictly in accordance with national legal frameworks and religious law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ListenListen (3 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylink googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Supporters of Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi gather at the Lincoln Memorial to call for an immediate end to executions, torture, and political repression in Iran, in Washington, DC [File: Ken Cedeno\/Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UN rights chief says Iran executed at least 56 people since March - Asia Newscast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2042\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UN rights chief says Iran executed at least 56 people since March - Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta 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