Alarming developments have unfolded in Iran in connection with the January protests, as a result of which more than a hundred people are facing the death penalty. According to the Norway-based human rights organisation Iran Human Rights (IHR), those convicted include five women and at least five minors at the time the alleged offences were committed.
These alarming figures only partially reflect the true picture, claims IHR. The majority of those arrested remain in limbo, as information on a large number of cases is still lacking from official sources. Only five confirmed cases of death sentences are known.
The trials during which these sentences were handed down raise serious doubts. According to IHR Director Mahmoud Amiri-Mogaddam, the revolutionary courts’ proceedings were conducted in violation of all standards of fair trial. Defendants were often denied the right to legal representation, and torture was used to extract confessions.
The situation in the country has deteriorated following the execution of 31 protesters, 29 of whom were detained in January this year. These repressive measures have sparked a wave of international condemnation, particularly against the backdrop of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, whose participants have also been subjected to severe persecution.
Whilst the international community’s attention remains focused on events in Iran, the number of people executed since the start of 2026 has reached 561. This raises serious concerns for the fate of those fighting for their rights under mounting pressure, and serves as a reminder of the need for the international community’s support in standing up to injustice.