UN Secretary-General’s Report on Human Rights Violations by Iran’s Regime
According to a shocking report by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, presented on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Iran’s regime recorded one of the darkest human rights records in 2024 by executing at least 975 people. The report presents a horrifying picture of systematic human rights violations under the dictatorship of the Supreme Leader: from widespread and public executions to the brutal suppression of protesters, minorities, women, and journalists.
The United Nations, expressing deep concern, has called on the international community to hold the regime accountable for ending the cycle of violence and human rights violations through diplomatic pressure and targeted sanctions.
Wave of Executions, Gross Violation of the Right to Life
In 2024, Iran’s regime executed at least 975 people, marking a 17% increase compared to 2023 (834 executions), setting a horrifying record not seen since 2015. At least four of these executions were carried out publicly—an act that, according to international organizations, is a blatant violation of human dignity and human rights standards.
Week 73 of “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign Spreads to 47 Prisons
An analysis of the charges against those executed reveals non-transparent and unfair judicial procedures:
- 52% for drug-related offenses
- 43% for murder
- 2% for sexual offenses
- 3% for security-related charges, including espionage
Human rights experts regard this range of accusations combined with the lack of fair trials as a sign of systematic violations of the right to life.
Women, Double Victims of the Regime’s Suppression
The UN report highlights a troubling rise in the execution of women in Iran. In 2024, at least 31 women were executed—a significant increase compared to 22 cases the previous year. Many of these women were convicted in cases involving domestic violence, forced marriage, or child marriage. Notably, nine women were executed for killing their husbands, despite clear evidence of prolonged domestic abuse. These cases starkly illustrate the regime’s gross violation of gender justice and its disregard for international standards of protection for women who are victims of violence.
Repression of Protesters and Minorities, Systematic Discrimination
Iran’s regime continues its relentless crackdown on protesters, particularly those who took part in the nationwide uprisings following the killing of Mahsa Amini in 2022. The UN report confirms that several of those executed were convicted on charges related to these protests, despite the fact that the regime’s courts lacked the basic standards of fair trial. This has further heightened concerns about widespread human rights violations in Iran.
Ethnic minorities have also been disproportionately subjected to harsh punishments:
- 108 of those executed were Baluch citizens
- 84 Kurdish prisoners were among those executed
These figures clearly indicate the regime’s systematic and deliberate discrimination against ethnic minorities and serve as an alarm for the international community.
Arbitrary Arrests and Suppression of Free Expression
The UN report details a rise in arbitrary arrests, widespread use of torture in detention centers, and unfair trials. By intensifying restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, Iran’s regime has blatantly violated its international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In 2024, at least 125 journalists, including 40 women, faced prosecution, summons, or arrest due to their media activities and critical reporting.
UN Call to Halt Executions
Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, presenting the report, called on Iran’s regime to immediately halt executions and uphold human rights. She also urged the international community to exert effective diplomatic pressure to stop human rights abuses in Iran, particularly executions and the crackdown on protesters.
Nada Al-Nashif clearly stated that the continuation of mass executions, torture, arbitrary detentions, and severe restrictions on free expression paints a grim picture of the human rights situation in Iran—one that demands urgent intervention from the global community.
The UN report, along with the outcry of the Iranian people and political prisoners in campaigns like “No to Executions,” underscores the depth of the human rights catastrophe in Iran. Widespread executions, repression of protesters, discrimination against minorities, and the crackdown on free expression have made the regime of the Supreme Leader one of the world’s most notorious violators of the Iranian people’s rights. The international community must help end this cycle of violence through diplomatic pressure, targeted sanctions, and support for the Iranian people’s demands for justice and freedom. Without decisive action, the human rights crisis in Iran will remain one of the most pressing challenges for the global community.
