UN Fact-Finding Mission Urgently Calls on Iran to Immediately Halt Executions
On July 23, 2026, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran urgently called on Iranian authorities to immediately halt all executions, including those in connection with the protests, and establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
The Mission urged authorities to stop the imminent execution of 10 young men sentenced to death over their alleged involvement in the January 8 protests in Isfahan.
The appeal comes after the execution of Erfan Esfandiari, 18 years old, and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, 23 years old, on July 19. According to credible reports, the families of at least two of the remaining prisoners have already been summoned for final visits, raising fears that more executions are imminent.
Since March 19, the Center for Human Rights in Iran has documented the execution of at least 46 people on politically motivated charges, underscoring a dramatic escalation in the Iranian authorities’ use of the death penalty as a tool of repression. At least 23 of those executed were protesters arrested during the nationwide demonstrations that began in January.
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran was established by the Human Rights Council in November 2022 to investigate human rights violations related to the 2022 protests. In January 2026, its mandate was extended for two years to also investigate serious violations linked to the protests that began on December 28, 2025, and the armed conflict that started on February 28, 2026.
Read their full statement below.
Non-official UN languages:
23 July 2026
GENEVA – The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran urged Iranian authorities to immediately halt the executions of 10 young men sentenced to death after taking part in a protest in Isfahan earlier this year. The Mission strongly condemned the execution on 19 July of two other men in the same case.
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 State media. On 19 July, the Iranian Judiciary announced that Erfan Esfandiari, reportedly 18-years-old, and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, a 23-year-old Afghan national, had been executed.
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.
Alarmingly, these executions continue a pattern linked to the nationwide protests that started on 28 December 2025. Iranian authorities have carried out multiple executions in the past months. In March 2026, three young men were executed in Qom after being convicted in connection with the killing of members of security forces. In late April 2026, four young men were executed after being convicted in relation to an alleged attack on a Basij base in Tehran.
The Mission previously reported, including in March 2026, on the increased use of the death penalty during periods of political and social unrest and upheaval. Credible reports indicate that more than 60 individuals, including at least three women and two boys, have been sentenced to death since December last year. According to the Judiciary, 23 men have already been executed in relation to these protests since March.
The Mission is gravely concerned by Iranian authorities fast-tracking capital punishment cases that are related to the protests and national security issues. These concerns deepened on 15 July, when, following a directive of the Head of the Judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i to expedite proceedings, Tehran Prosecutor General Ali Salehi announced that all cases related to the hostilities in June 2025 and those that began on 28 February 2026, as well as the protests that started on 28 December 2025, had been finalized and referred to the courts. This announcement raises serious fears of further death sentences and executions.
The Mission reiterates its call on 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 its abolition for all crimes.
ENDS
