Independent UN human rights investigators on Thursday called for Iran to immediately halt the execution of 10 men who took part in a protest in the central city of Isfahan earlier this year, warning that some of their relatives have already been called for final visits.
The appeal by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran follows the 19 July execution of two other men in the same case - Erfan Esfandiari, reportedly 18-years-old, and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, a 23-year-old Afghan national - which it strongly condemned.
The development is unfolding against a backdrop of longstanding UN concern over the surge in the use of the death penalty in Iran and ongoing hostilities in the region which began in late February.
Families summoned
All 12 men were arrested in connection with protests on 8 January in Isfahan's Alikhani Square that led to the killing of four members of the security forces.
"According to credible information, the families of at least two of the remaining 10 men have been summoned for final visits, suggesting that more executions are imminent," the rights experts said.
They noted that the executions continue a pattern linked to nationwide protests that began last December, with Iranian authorities carrying out multiple sentences in recent months.
In March, three young men were executed in Qom after being convicted in connection with the killing of members of security forces.
The following month, four young men were executed after being convicted in relation to an alleged attack on a base of the Basij, a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in the capital Tehran.
Rise in capital punishment
The cases add to a rising toll as the Mission has previously reported on the increased use of the death penalty during periods of political and social unrest and upheaval.
Credible reports indicate that more than 60 people, including at least three women and two boys, have been sentenced to death since December. According to the Iranian Judiciary, 23 men have already been executed in relation to the protests since March.
Expedited cases
The Mission was concerned that the Iranian authorities are fast-tracking capital punishment cases related to the protests and national security issues.
Members pointed to a 15 July announcement by Tehran Prosecutor General Ali Salehi, following a directive from the Head of the Judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, to expedite proceedings.
The Prosecutor said that all cases related to the hostilities in June and those that began on 28 February, as well as the protests that started on 28 December, had been finalized and referred to the courts.
Fears of further executions
The rights experts warned that the announcement raises serious fears of further death sentences and executions.
They reiterated their call for Iran to immediately halt all executions, including those of individuals convicted in connection with the protests, and establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to abolition.
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran was initially established by the UN Human Rights Council in November 2022.
It is comprised of three members - Sara Hossain (chair), Viviana Krsticevic and Max du Plessis - who are not UN employees and do not receive payment for their work.
