Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 31, 2025 Human rights
An independent international fact-finding commission investigating alleged human rights violations in Iran has reported a "surge in repression and an unprecedented rise in executions" in the country following Israeli airstrikes in June.
At a briefing at UN headquarters in New York, Commission Chairperson Sara Hossain said the situation in the country had worsened following the strikes, which reportedly killed more than 1,000 people.
According to the Iranian government, 38 children and 102 women were among the 276 civilian casualties, with more than 5,600 others injured. Civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and schools, was damaged. The government also reported that Tehran's notorious Evin Prison was struck without warning, killing approximately 80 people, including inmates, their relatives (the attack occurred during visiting hours), staff, and at least one child. The prison held approximately 1,500 inmates at the time, including many human rights defenders and activists.
Hossain also expressed alarm over Iran's retaliatory missile strikes on Israel, which, according to Iranian authorities, have killed 31 people and injured more than 3,300.
"Systematic attacks on civilians"
Hossain said the aftermath of the strikes led to further internal repression by the Iranian government, further undermining respect for the right to life.
A commission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council has documented the arrests of thousands of people, including lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders and those who expressed opinions about the conflict on social media.
This year, the number of executions in Iran reached its highest level since 2015. Most death penalty cases, according to the Commission, violate international human rights law. A law was passed expanding the use of the death penalty for charges of "espionage" and criminalizing the publication of information on social media deemed "false" by the authorities.
"If executions are part of a widespread and systematic repression of the civilian population as part of a State policy, those responsible – including judges who hand down death sentences – may be held accountable for crimes against humanity," said commission expert Max du Plessis.
Recent repressions have also affected ethnic and religious minorities: more than 330 Kurds and a large number of Arabs have been arrested, and hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been deported. Members of the Baha'i religious minority have been accused of "Zionist espionage," and their homes have been searched and their property confiscated.
Impunity for "honor killings"
The commission reported persistent cases of severe violence, including "honor killings" of women and girls. Sixty such cases were recorded between March and September 2025. These crimes, like other forms of gender-based violence, remain unpunished.
There are also reports of businesses serving women who refuse to comply with mandatory hijab regulations being closed, and increased surveillance. There are also reports of the return of "morality police" to the streets.
The commission documented an increase in transnational repression, including interrogations, threats, and surveillance of the families of Iranian journalists abroad. Credible information indicates that more than 45 media workers in seven countries have faced serious threats.
"The denial of justice is not a neutral act," Hossain said. "Failure to ensure justice only prolongs the suffering of victims and undermines the state's obligations under international human rights law to ensure accountability, truth, justice, and reparations."
"The rights to life and liberty are under unprecedented threat."
In a report to the General Assembly, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran Mai Sato condemned the Israeli and US strikes as an illegal use of force in violation of the UN Charter and expressed deep concern that the end of hostilities had not brought relief to Iranians.
"External aggression has fueled internal repression," Sato said. "The Iranian people's rights to life and freedom are under unprecedented threat."
She described the rise in executions as a deliberate policy of intimidation and retribution, noting that many sentences were handed down after unfair trials or on vague charges of threatening national security.
The rapporteur also pointed to the expansion of transnational repression: Iranian authorities are targeting opposition figures abroad through intimidation, surveillance, and threats, and called on UN member states to support vulnerable members of Iranian civil society and coordinate efforts to counter transnational repression.
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