A sharp rise in state-sanctioned executions in Iran has prompted strong condemnation from British diplomats, who describe a coordinated campaign to silence dissent. Official figures suggest that over 500 prisoners have been put to death in the past six months, with human rights groups alleging that many are political opponents arrested during the recent civil unrest.
Foreign Office sources confirm that the UK ambassador has summoned Iranian officials to protest the escalating violence. “We are witnessing a brutal crackdown,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said. “The use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression is abhorrent. These executions are a flagrant violation of international law.”
The surge follows months of protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody last year. Regime opponents have been tried in closed courts on charges of “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth,” offences that carry a mandatory death sentence. In one case, a 23-year-old man was hanged for throwing a Molotov cocktail at a police station, an act his family insists was a desperate cry for help.
Amnesty International reports that at least 40 executions took place in the first week of this month alone. Many of those killed were from minority ethnic groups, including Kurds and Balochs, who have long complained of discrimination. The UK’s ambassador to the United Nations has tabled a resolution calling for an independent inquiry into the execution spree.
The Iranian government has dismissed the criticism as Western interference. In a state television address, the interior minister claimed that the executions were necessary to maintain public order and that all defendants received fair trials. Independent legal observers, however, have been banned from attending court proceedings.
Back in Britain, the flow of executions has angered MPs across the political spectrum. Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to impose new sanctions on Iranian judges and prison officials. “These are crimes against humanity,” Sir Ed said. “We cannot look away while the regime kills its own citizens in cold blood.”
The Foreign Office has confirmed it is reviewing the list of sanctioned individuals, though it remains to be seen whether any travel bans or asset freezes will follow. Meanwhile, grassroots campaigners in London and Manchester have organised vigils to honour the dead. At a candlelit gathering outside the Iranian embassy, one protester held a sign that read: “Stop the Killing Machine.”
For the families left behind, the pain is raw. A mother of a 19-year-old executed last month told this newspaper: “They took my son’s future. They turned him into a number. But I will not be silent.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, yet she insisted the world must know what is happening inside Iran’s prisons.
The UK has long been a vocal critic of Iran’s human rights record, but today’s condemnation marks a new level of urgency. As the execution rate shows no sign of slowing, the question is whether diplomatic pressure alone can halt the bloodshed, or whether tougher measures will be needed.
