London. The United Kingdom has called for a United Nations investigation into an alarming increase in political executions in Iran, where the state is reported to have accelerated its use of capital punishment against dissidents during the ongoing conflict with Israel.
According to human rights groups, at least 45 political prisoners have been executed in the past month, a sharp rise from the already high baseline of previous years. The executions, carried out in Evin and other prisons, have targeted journalists, activists, and dual nationals accused of espionage or “enmity against God”.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary, speaking in the House of Commons, said the executions were “a flagrant violation of international law” and demanded an independent UN inquiry into the pattern of state killings. “These are not judicial processes. They are reprisals designed to crush dissent,” he said.
The surge coincides with Iran’s military engagement in the wider Middle Eastern crisis. Analysts suggest the regime is using the war as cover to eliminate perceived internal threats. “The government sees any criticism as treason,” said a senior researcher at Amnesty International. “The execution rate is now the highest in a decade.”
Tehran has rejected the calls, describing them as “interference in internal affairs”. The Iranian judiciary claimed that all executions were carried out after due process and that the accused had received fair trials.
However, evidence gathered by the BBC and other media indicates that many of the trials lasted less than 20 minutes, with defendants denied access to lawyers of their choice. One case involved a 24-year-old Kurdish activist who was reportedly sentenced and executed within 72 hours.
The UK has urged the UN Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution mandating a fact-finding mission. The move is likely to face opposition from Russia and China, both of which have blocked previous attempts to scrutinise Iran’s human rights record.
Meanwhile, the European Union has also expressed deep concern. A spokesperson in Brussels said: “The use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression must end.” The EU is expected to propose targeted sanctions against Iranian judges and prison officials.
For the families of the executed, there is little hope of redress. Many have been barred from holding funerals and fear reprisals if they speak out. One mother, speaking anonymously, said: “They killed my son for a tweet. The world must see what is happening here.”
The crisis comes as Iran’s economy buckles under international sanctions and war-related disruption. The regime’s legitimacy, already fragile, is further eroded by such atrocities. Soft power is not a luxury Tehran can afford to squander. By executing its citizens, it reveals the weakness at its core.
