{"id":1428,"date":"2026-09-16T20:08:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T20:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/?p=1428"},"modified":"2026-09-16T20:08:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T20:08:22","slug":"iran-widespread-executions-destruction-of-evidence-of-crimes-against-humanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/?p=1428","title":{"rendered":"Iran: Widespread Executions, Destruction of Evidence of Crimes Against Humanity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content no-share\">\n<div class=\"jeg_share_button share-float jeg_sticky_share clearfix share-monocrhome\">\n<div class=\"jeg_share_float_container\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"content-inner\">\n<h4><em><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Executive Summary<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Between August 23- September 15, 2026, the Islamic Republic of Iran executed at least 61 prisoners across detention facilities nationwide. This unprecedented surge demonstrates a systematic escalation in the use of executions as a tool of repression, social intimidation, and political cleansing. During this period, one person was executed every 9.6 hours.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_ad jeg_ad_article jnews_content_inline_ads\">\n<div class=\"ads-wrapper align-right\"><a aria-label=\"Visit advertisement link\" class=\"adlink ads_image align-right\" href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/jnewsio\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazyload\" data-pin-no-hover=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/iran-hrm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/ad_300x250.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==\"\/><br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Naast de golf van niet-politieke executies werden er twee nieuwe doodvonnissen uitgevaardigd tegen personen die tussen 22 december 2025 en 22 januari 2026 waren gearresteerd, waardoor de bezorgdheid over het gebruik van de doodstraf om afwijkende meningen te onderdrukken en de jongere generatie te intimideren, toenam.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Simultaneously, the government has undertaken the demolition of Gohardasht Prison and the destruction of mass graves of victims from the 1980s and the 1988 massacre in multiple cities. These actions constitute the erasure of evidence of crimes against humanity, obstructing truth-seeking efforts and, under international law, amount to the continuation of the crime.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>This report calls for urgent, concrete, and preventive action by United Nations mechanisms to halt the execution machinery, prevent the destruction of evidence, and ensure accountability for these grave human rights violations.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>In recent years, Iran has recorded the highest number of executions among countries where such figures are publicly documented and reported; in 2025, the country accounted for approximately 80 percent of the world\u2019s recorded executions, with the government employing this punishment as a tool for political control, social repression, and the instilling of public fear. The new wave of executions in September 2026\u2014accompanied by the issuance of death sentences against protesters and the destruction of evidence regarding past crimes\u2014reflects a systematic pattern of human rights violations, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Violation of the right to life<\/strong>(61 executions in 24 days)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Unfair trials<\/strong>(enforced disappearance, lack of family notification, denial of access to legal counsel; Omidreza Heidari\u2019s case)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Torture and forced confessions<\/strong>(reports of coercion and torture during interrogations of Omidreza Heidari)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Political executions<\/strong>(death sentences issued for two protesters: Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl and Omidreza Heidari)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Destruction of evidence of crimes against humanity<\/strong>(demolition of Gohardasht Prison; leveling of Section 41 of Behesht-e Zahra; destruction of mass graves in Khavaran, and in Tabriz, Mashhad, Ahvaz)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These actions constitute clear violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), fair trial standards, and Iran\u2019s obligations under UN human rights mechanisms.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<h4><strong>The Execution Wave from August 23 to September 15<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Execution Statistics<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>61 executions in 24 days<\/li>\n<li>Average: 2.5 executions per day<\/li>\n<li>Approximately one execution every 9.5 hours<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Characteristics of the Execution Wave<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Broad geographic spread (from Tabriz to Zahedan, from Mashhad to Ahvaz)<\/li>\n<li>Execution of women, youth, and individuals with children<\/li>\n<li>Execution of Afghan nationals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Due to the lack of official data and structural opacity within Iran\u2019s judicial system, these figures represent minimum verified numbers, and the actual number of executions is likely significantly higher.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Daily Execution Log (August 23 \u2013 September 15)<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>August 23 \u2013 9 executions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Majid Adineh \u2013 protester from Dey 1404<\/li>\n<li>Fatemeh Kamal-Zare\u2019 \u2013 Karaj<\/li>\n<li>Ardalan Sabzi \u2013 Maku<\/li>\n<li>Mohammadali Kafashi \u2013 Semnan<\/li>\n<li>Hamed Emami \u2013 Semnan<\/li>\n<li>Mahmoud Talebi \u2013 Vakilabad, Mashhad<\/li>\n<li>Hossein Hessari \u2013 Vakilabad, Mashhad<\/li>\n<li>Navid Mohammadpour \u2013 Dehdasht<\/li>\n<li>Ali Zibaei \u2013 Semnan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>August 24 \u2013 7 executions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Arezoo Rostad \u2013 23 \u2013 Isfahan<\/li>\n<li>Saleh Zeidabadi \u2013 Isfahan<\/li>\n<li>Mer\u2019at Zeidabadi (nephew of Saleh) \u2013 Isfahan<\/li>\n<li>Amir Danaei \u2013 Isfahan<\/li>\n<li>Bahram Keshavarzi \u2013 Shiraz<\/li>\n<li>Mosib (surname unknown) \u2013 Mashhad<\/li>\n<li>Shafi\u2019 Shokati \u2013 39 \u2013 father of 4 \u2013 Shiraz<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>August 25 \u2013 7 executions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Saeed Najafi \u2013 Ghezel Hesar<\/li>\n<li>Hamid Najafi (brother of Saeed) \u2013 Ghezel Hesar<\/li>\n<li>Zahra Azizpour \u2013 Lakan, Rasht<\/li>\n<li>Hedayat Jamalzadeh \u2013 Lakan, Rasht<\/li>\n<li>Ali-Asghar Salarzehi \u2013 Yazd<\/li>\n<li>Omid (Aliakbar) Shahouzehi \u2013 Zahedan<\/li>\n<li>Yousef Bavi \u2013 Sepidar, Ahvaz<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>August 26 \u2013 3 executions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mostafa Vosoughi \u2013 Khorramabad<\/li>\n<li>Masoud Hemmati \u2013 Sari<\/li>\n<li>Esmail Ajami \u2013 Sari<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>August 29 \u2013 4 executions (Tabriz)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Yavar Alizadeh \u2013 28<\/li>\n<li>Hossein Khalilian \u2013 40<\/li>\n<li>Mojtaba Vahedi \u2013 28 \u2013 father of one<\/li>\n<li>Davoud Tarkhan \u2013 48 \u2013 father of four (one disabled)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>August 31 \u2013 2 executions (Qom)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Abbas Mardani \u2013 30<\/li>\n<li>Mansour Rahiminejad \u2013 38 \u2013 father of a young daughter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>September 1 \u2013 2 executions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sina Alipour \u2013 26 \u2013 Zahedan<\/li>\n<li>Mojtaba Salahi Laqani \u2013 Lakan, Rasht<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>September 2 \u2013 8 executions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Aziz Roshanayi \u2013 Adelabad, Shiraz<\/li>\n<li>Ali Mirrezai \u2013 singer \u2013 Babol<\/li>\n<li>Omid Rakhshani \u2013 Vakilabad, Mashhad<\/li>\n<li>Yaser Momeni \u2013 Adelabad, Shiraz<\/li>\n<li>Ansar Nami \u2013 52 \u2013 Afghan national \u2013 Vakilabad<\/li>\n<li>Nazif Rasoulkhandeh \u2013 46 \u2013 Afghan national \u2013 Vakilabad<\/li>\n<li>Ahmad Haj-Hosseini \u2013 50 \u2013 Gorgan<\/li>\n<li>Valijan Norzai \u2013 29 \u2013 Afghan national \u2013 Rafsanjan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>September 5 \u2013 1 execution<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reza Salimi \u2013 Semnan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>September 6 \u2013 3 executions (Mashhad)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mohammadreza Mohammadparast<\/li>\n<li>Fatemeh Jahangard \u2013 40<\/li>\n<li>Mehrdad Mokhtari \u2013 24<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>September 8 \u2013 1 execution<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ezzat Asgari \u2013 Behshahr<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>September 9 \u2013 4 executions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mohammad Yousef Issa-Zehi (Rigi) \u2013 40 \u2013 father of 5 \u2013 Isfahan<\/li>\n<li>Shahrukh Pourasmaeili \u2013 27 \u2013 Isfahan<\/li>\n<li>Hossein Ghasemzadeh \u2013 54 \u2013 father of 3 \u2013 Isfahan<\/li>\n<li>Mohammadreza Nirang \u2013 30 \u2013 Yazd<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>September 13 \u2013 8 executions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hashem Rakhshani \u2013 34 \u2013 father of 2 \u2013 Zabol<\/li>\n<li>Amanollah Nazarkhani \u2013 Zabol<\/li>\n<li>Mohammad Mousa-Zehi \u2013 34 \u2013 father of 2 \u2013 Iranshahr<\/li>\n<li>Asghar Pish-Ahang \u2013 34 \u2013 father of 3 \u2013 Zahedan<\/li>\n<li>Yousef Abil \u2013 27 \u2013 father of 2 young children \u2013 Jiroft<\/li>\n<li>Farzad Ahmadpour \u2013 35 \u2013 Jiroft<\/li>\n<li>Khalil Afghan \u2013 Afghan national \u2013 Zahedan<\/li>\n<li>Houshang Soltani \u2013 37 \u2013 Isfahan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>September 14 \u2013 1 execution<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Abdolrahim Narouyi Rozaneh \u2013 47 \u2013 father of 9 \u2013 Isfahan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>September 15 \u2013 1 execution<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fereydoun Akbarzadeh \u2013 Ilam \u2013 father of several children<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>\n<h4><strong>Recent Political Death Sentences<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl \u2013 34 years old<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Arrested during the Dey 1404 protests<\/li>\n<li>Sentenced to death and confiscation of property<\/li>\n<li>Supreme Court rejected his appeal<\/li>\n<li>Charges: \u201coperational action for a hostile state,\u201d \u201ccollaboration with hostile groups\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Supreme Court had previously overturned the death sentences handed down to him and Bita Hemmati (Mohammad-Reza\u2019s wife) and referred the case to a court of equal jurisdiction for retrial; however, in the recent proceedings, Majidi-Asl\u2019s appeal was rejected.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Omidreza Heidari \u2013 19, student from Izeh<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Arrested during the Dey 1404 protests<\/li>\n<li>Sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan<\/li>\n<li>Enforced disappearance following arrest<\/li>\n<li>Reports of torture and coercion during interrogation<\/li>\n<li>Charges include:\n<ul>\n<li>deliberate destruction of public property<\/li>\n<li>propaganda against the state<\/li>\n<li>insulting the Supreme Leader<\/li>\n<li>incitement<\/li>\n<li>assembly and collusion against national security<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>\n<h4><strong>Destruction of Evidence of Executions and Crimes Against Humanity<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>A) Demolition of Gohardasht Prison (Karaj)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>State media, including Alborz TV and IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency, broadcast footage on 22 Shahrivar 1405 (September 13, 2026) showing the demolition of Gohardasht Prison in the presence of Heydar Asiabi, head of Iran\u2019s Prisons Organization. He stated:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy the explicit order of the Judiciary\u2019s leadership, we are here in Karaj today to ensure the demolition of all perimeter walls of the prison. The work has begun and will be completed within a month to prepare the ground for urban development\u2014residential and commercial.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gohardasht was one of the main centers of torture and political executions in the 1980s. After Evin, it was the site of the highest number of hangings during the 1988 massacre. Its \u201cdeath corridor,\u201d \u201cdeath hall,\u201d and other torture sites have been documented for decades and were presented in detail during the Hamid Nouri trial (1400\u20131401).<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Note to the reader:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The trial of Hamid Nouri\u2014accused of involvement in the mass execution of Iranian political prisoners in the summer of 1988\u2014concluded on May 4, 2022. On July 14, the Stockholm District Court in Sweden sentenced Nouri to life imprisonment for his role in the executions of political prisoners in 1988.<\/p>\n<p>The trial lasted nine months, spanning 92 sessions during which 34 plaintiffs and 26 witnesses testified.<\/p>\n<p><strong>B) Destruction of Mass Graves<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The destruction of Plot 41 at Behesht-e Zahra\u2014the burial site of thousands of political prisoners, the majority of whom were supporters and members of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) executed in 1981 by order of the Islamic Republic\u2014carried out in August 2025 by order of Khamenei.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Destruction of Khavaran (site of 1988 massacre) and graves of political prisoners in Tabriz, Mashhad, Ahvaz, and other cities<\/li>\n<li>Bulldozing and leveling with heavy machinery<\/li>\n<li>Protest by 1,112 family members in a letter to the UN Secretary-General<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>C) International Documentation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>UN Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman stated in his July 17, 2024 report (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/countries\/iran\/20240717-SR-Iran-Findings.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">SR Iran<\/a> ):<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince the early 1980s, the Iranian government has, systematically, demolished individual and mass graves across the country believed to contain the remains of the executed dissidents. The authorities continue to conceal or erase data that could serve as potential evidence to avoid legal accountability. It has been reported that two large burial sites in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery were systematically destroyed by the authorities in the last few decades.89 These sections (known as sections 41 and 93) contain the remains of hundreds of political dissidents executed between 1980 to 1988.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These actions constitute the continuation of crimes against humanity under international law.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>The execution wave in Shahrivar 1405 is systematic.<\/li>\n<li>Political death sentences against protesters violate fair trial standards and reflect the use of capital punishment as a tool of political repression.<\/li>\n<li>The demolition of prisons and mass graves represents the destruction of evidence of crimes against humanity and an attempt at historical erasure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Urgent and concrete action by UN mechanisms is required.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Recommendations to UN Bodies<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Immediate halt to the execution wave<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Convene an emergency session of the Human Rights Council<\/li>\n<li>Apply diplomatic pressure to stop executions<\/li>\n<li>Establish a dedicated monitoring mechanism for Iran<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong>Condition international engagement with Iran<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Condition all agreements and cooperation on halting torture and executions<\/li>\n<li>Impose targeted sanctions on judicial and security officials involved in issuing or carrying out death sentences<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong>Prevent destruction of evidence<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Immediate halt to the demolition of Gohardasht Prison<\/li>\n<li>Protect execution sites and mass graves as crime scenes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong>Ensure accountability<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Refer political executions and the 1988 massacre to UN investigative mechanisms<\/li>\n<li>Explore possibilities for international prosecution under universal jurisdiction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><strong>Support families of victims<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Guarantee the right to justice<\/li>\n<li>Prevent intimidation and harassment of families<\/li>\n<li>Preserve testimonies and documentation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Executive Summary Between August 23- September 15, 2026, the Islamic Republic of Iran executed at least 61 prisoners across detention facilities nationwide. This unprecedented surge demonstrates a systematic escalation in the use of executions as a tool of repression, social intimidation, and political cleansing. During this period, one person was executed every 9.6 hours. Naast de golf van niet-politieke executies [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[33,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mensenrechten","category-nieuws"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IranHRM-Destruction.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckmiran.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}