UN: Iran uses death penalty to suppress protests

The plan announced by the Iranian government to apply the death penalty against protesters was illegal and demonstrated that the authorities are prepared to use executions to suppress demonstrations.

The statement was made by Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Caliber.Az reports.

Following yesterday's statement (https://t.co/8dSUoVKRLL), I echo the strong objection of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association concerning the scheduled use of the death penalty to crack down on demonstrations.
Even if the planned… https://t.co/F0lLzx9ywd

— Mai Sato (@drmaisato) January 14, 2026

A 26-year-old Iranian protester, Erfan Soltani, who was arrested on January 8 during anti-government protests in Fardis, west of Tehran, was sentenced to death and was due to be executed on January 14.

Even if the execution does not take place on January 14, Sato wrote on X, the declared intention to impose the death penalty and the sentence handed down to the protester on charges of moharebeh (“enmity against God”) demonstrate a disregard for the freedoms of assembly and expression.

“The death penalty is not a solution for a country that respects freedom of assembly and freedom of speech,” Sato said.

Since late December 2025, Iran has been engulfed in one of the largest protest movements since the 1979 revolution, with demonstrations spreading across multiple cities in response to economic grievances and broader political discontent.

Demonstrations spread to all 31 provinces, with millions participating by early January, drawing parallels to the 2022–2023 Woman Life Freedom uprising. Protests feature anti-regime slogans, support for exiled figures like Reza Pahlavi, and attacks on regime symbols.

According to the U.S.–based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the death toll has risen to at least 2,571 people as of January 14, 2026. This figure includes a large majority of protesters, along with some security personnel and civilians caught up in the unrest. HRANA says more than 18,100 protesters have been detained so far.

By Khagan Isayev