In Iran, the government intensifies its campaign of repression and executions multiply

The deaths of Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani, hanged on July 25 by Iranian authorities, have added two more names to the list of those sentenced and executed in Iran . Mehdi Hassani, 48, was arrested on September 11, 2022; Behrouz Ehsani, 69, was arrested on December 6, 2022. Both men were sentenced to death in January for, among other things, “armed rebellion,” “enmity against God,” and “corruption on Earth” in connection with their alleged membership in the opposition organization Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK). The sentence was handed down after a five-minute trial during which they were not allowed to defend themselves. They had been deprived of access to their lawyers for two years.

These two executions bring to at least 612 the number of people killed in the first half of 2025, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office. This is twice as many as in the same period in 2024 (with 297 executions). At least 48 people are currently on death row, according to the UN.

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