US State Department condemns surge in Iran executions of protesters

The Islamic Republic of Iran has stepped up executions of dissidents and activists; The true number of victims was probably hidden due to the regime’s internet censorship and blackout.

Since the January uprisings against the regime, Tehran has been waging a bloody crackdown on its opponents.

Iranian Human Rights Association documented 784 executions Speaking to Fox News Digital, a representative from the organization said, “These figures point to a rapidly increasing trend in executions since March,” and explained that “the executions of political prisoners, in particular, have reached a level not seen in the last 37 years.”

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“We are aware of disturbing reports regarding the recent increase in executions in Iran,” a State Department official told Fox News Digital. “We strongly condemn the Iranian regime’s use of executions to punish people for exercising their basic human rights, including Iranians who peacefully protest for a better life,” the official said.

“Iranians have been subjected to torture and sham trials for decades, resulting in executions and harsh sentences; often the only evidence presented against them is forced confessions,” the official said.

The Islamic Republic of Iran executed at least 18 prisoners between May 31 and June 1, according to information provided to Fox News Digital by the Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) on June 4. These included 12 prisoners hanged on 31 May and six executed on 1 June; one of them was said to have been “hanged in public with extreme brutality.”

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The NCRI counted a total of 32 executions between March 19 and June 1. These included eight members of the Iranian opposition organization People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOE/MEK) and 24 individuals who participated in Iran’s January 2026 protests.

In documents provided to Fox News Digital, the NCRI said there was an “imminent risk of execution” for five political prisoners in Ahvaz’s Sheiban Prison on June 7, four of whom were accused of being PMOI/MEK members and sentenced to death.

NCRI president-elect Maryam Rajavi issued a call on X for the UN to “take urgent action to prevent the execution.”

Days earlier on June 2, following two other January executions of protesters, Rajavi said: in x “The clerical regime has committed yet another terrible crime in Iran.” He called on the UN Security Council and the European Union to “resolutely condemn these criminal executions and take effective steps to stop the killing of political prisoners and protesters in Iran.”

The Iranian Human Rights Association reiterated NCRI’s statement regarding the 18 executions that took place between May 31 and June 1. Their representatives explained that despite the internet outage, they received reports from “a network of prison sources, inmate families, attorneys and local contacts” and explained that “all reports are reviewed and cross-checked through multiple independent sources before publication.” Although they said that “internet restrictions make documentation difficult,” they stated that they “continue to obtain, verify and document information.”

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A hanging rope is displayed during a rally in Paris, France, on May 13, 2025. (Siavosh Hosseini/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Alp Toker, director of global internet watchdog NetBlocks, told Fox News Digital: “Internet connectivity has largely been restored in Iran, but current service remains limited compared to the situation before the protests and this year’s war. “In practice, for most users, this means international access is slow with signs of restrictions, as well as increased filtering, particularly targeting messaging apps.

“Since the restoration it has been in this state of limbo with no significant change for better or worse,” he said.

However, a representative of the Iranian Association for Human Rights noted that the actual number of executions was “almost certainly” higher than the figure they had determined. “Ruling officials in Iran often carry out executions secretly and do not publicly disclose most of them,” the representative said. Additionally, the representative added: “A significant number of executions, especially in remote areas or where access to information is limited, may remain undocumented or reach us only after a significant delay.”

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The representative also stated that the number of executions listed in the documents of the Iranian Society for Human Rights “is consistently lower than the actual number carried out.”

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Mai Sato did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the increasing number of executions in Iran.