DistantNews
Control through fear and terror: why Tehran executes regime opponents
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Crime & Justice

Control through fear and terror: why Tehran executes regime opponents

From Neue Zürcher Zeitung · (1h ago) German Critical tone

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Iran's judiciary is increasingly imposing the death penalty on regime opponents, a strategy human rights groups call state intimidation.
  • The recent wave of executions appears to be a response to internal dissent and a demonstration of control following a period of relative calm in international conflicts.
  • Iran has one of the highest execution rates globally, with a significant increase reported in the past year, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups.

The Iranian regime is employing a brutal strategy of executions to quell internal dissent, leveraging a temporary lull in international tensions to consolidate power. International human rights organizations have issued stark warnings about a new wave of repression, with the judiciary systematically targeting protesters and opposition figures.

The Iranian regime uses the ceasefire to eliminate opponents from within: the judiciary is increasingly imposing the death penalty – and pursuing a perfidious strategy.

— Neue Zürcher ZeitungDescribing the regime's strategy of using a period of calm to intensify internal repression.

Recent weeks have seen a disturbing surge in executions, including that of 29-year-old Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, a Kurd who participated in the 2022 protests. Three more men were executed on Monday, accused of acting on behalf of an "enemy" during the January unrest. These grim reports, often arriving with the dawn prayer call, underscore the regime's chilling grip on society.

The Iranian leadership appears to be using the breathing room in the military conflict with the USA and Israel to clean up internally.

— ObserversAnalyzing the timing of the increased executions.

Iran's judiciary, under the direction of Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, has vowed "swift" and "merciless" punishment for those deemed "infantry of the attacking enemy." This rhetoric signals a continued crackdown, with at least thirteen people already executed in connection with the January protests, according to the Norway-Iran Human Rights group Hengaw.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, speaks of an 'instrument of state intimidation.'

— Volker TürkCharacterizing the use of death sentences by the regime.

This crackdown is not new. Iran consistently ranks among countries with the highest execution rates globally, with last year alone seeing 1639 people executed – a 68 percent increase from the previous year. Observers link this surge to the "Twelve-Day War" in June 2025, suggesting the regime uses death sentences to project strength and reassert control after perceived military setbacks. Marginalized groups, particularly those involved in protests, remain particularly vulnerable to this state-sponsored terror.

swift and merciless punishment

— Gholamhossein Mohseni-EjeiThe head of the Iranian judiciary's vow regarding regime opponents.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Neue Zürcher Zeitung in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog