UN Experts Call on Iran to Halt Executions and Establish Moratorium

GENEVA — United Nations experts called on Iranian authorities on Tuesday to immediately halt all executions, stating that the country remains among a shrinking group of nations utilizing the death penalty and has become the most prolific executor per capita.

According to a statement issued in Geneva, the experts demanded an end to executions, emphasizing that individuals detained during protests should not be put to death. The experts pointed to findings from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission regarding the January 2026 security force crackdowns on protesters, which were determined to amount to crimes against humanity. They stated that cases involving detained protesters have been marked by procedural unfairness and violations, including torture, enforced disappearances, coerced confessions, and restricted access to legal representation.

The experts alleged that Iran's capital punishment framework is utilized to suppress dissent through broadly defined national security offences that categorize peaceful activities as threats. However, they noted that the majority of executions in Iran are carried out for drug-related offenses and homicide under qisas, or retribution-in-kind.

The statement highlighted that those executed for drug offences are predominantly low-level couriers from marginalized ethnic groups facing economic hardship, rather than high-level operators. Regarding qisas, the experts noted that the system places sentencing outcomes in the hands of victims' families through the mechanism of diya (blood money). They stated this creates severe consequences for women without the financial means to pay, specifically those convicted of killing abusive husbands in the absence of legal protections against domestic violence.

The experts also drew attention to the continued existence of capital punishment for religious offences such as apostasy, as well as consensual same-sex acts, stating that such laws restrict fundamental freedoms of belief and expression.

To address these issues, the UN experts urged Iranian authorities to establish an immediate moratorium on executions as a step toward total abolition, commute existing death sentences, and review all capital cases in accordance with international fair trial standards.

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