Human Rights Watch has accused Iranian authorities of carrying out a wave of politically motivated executions, revealing that at least 28 people have been executed since March 18, 2026, amid a broader crackdown on protesters and dissidents.

In a video message published Thursday on X, Bahar Saba said the executions followed “trials that violate the basic rights of defendants and use confessions extracted under torture to obtain convictions.”

Among those reportedly executed was 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi, along with at least 12 other young men allegedly linked to pro-reform protests.

Saba warned that “scores of imprisoned protesters and dissidents remain at risk of arbitrary and secret executions,” adding that Iranian authorities are increasingly using capital punishment “to spread fear” throughout the country.

According to HRW, more than 2,000 people were executed in Iran during 2025, marking the highest known execution rate in the country since the late 1980s.

The organization called on United Nations member states to take “coordinated diplomatic action” to pressure Iran into halting executions and holding officials accountable for alleged violations of the right to life and fair trial standards.

The report comes months after the six-week aerial conflict between Israel and Iran, which began in late February when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian targets. The conflict ended with a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire on April 8.

In late April, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported a sharp increase in executions in Iran since the outbreak of the conflict. Many cases were reportedly tied to alleged involvement in the January 2026 protests, membership in opposition groups, or espionage-related accusations.

Volker Türk condemned the surge in executions and criticized Iranian authorities over the arrest of nearly 4,000 people during the same period.

“I am appalled that — on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict — the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities in harsh and brutal ways,” Türk said.

He stressed that even during wartime, fundamental human rights — including protection from arbitrary detention and the right to a fair trial — “must be respected absolutely at all times.”