Iran’s Surge of Executions Amid War: Prisoners’ Stories

Following the war announced on 28 February by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iranian authorities have hanged 16 men in the past month—eight political prisoners and eight protesters. After a brief pause, the killings resumed in late March, marking an unprecedented wave of capital punishment during conflict.

The Guardian

Among those executed were Babak Alipour, a 34-year-old law graduate who recorded letters and a video from Rajai Shahr prison before his hanging on 31 March alongside engineer Pouya Ghobadi, 32. Other victims included 48-year-old father Mehdi Hassani, 18-year-old protester Amirhossein Hatami, and 24-year-old student Amirali Mirjafari. Reza Younesi, a chemistry professor at Uppsala University, has two relatives—brother Ali, 26, and father Yousef, 73—imprisoned for alleged MeK ties.

The Guardian

Key dates: 12 March – Alipour filmed a video denouncing the leadership; 31 March – Alipour and Ghobadi were hanged at Ghezel Hesar; 2 April – Hatami executed; Tuesday – Mirjafari executed. In total, 16 men (ages 18-48) were executed, leaving 11 political prisoners on death row.

The Guardian

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, called the wave “unprecedented” and noted that most executions involve drug or murder cases. Donald Trump asserted he had persuaded Tehran to spare eight women, though no Iranian confirmation exists. United States officials said they will not deploy ground troops, citing Iraq. Reza Younesi condemned the regime as “horrible, brutal” and warned the death penalty spreads fear.

The Guardian

Alipour’s smuggled letters and video reveal pleas and defiance, while his brother’s whereabouts remain unknown after a month of silence. Reza Younesi’s father disappeared for nine days before reappearing in the same prison. Independent verification of Trump’s claim about eight women and the number of female executions is lacking.

The Guardian

• “Dictators have come, been overthrown, died, and been killed, and now it is the turn of Khamenei-the-son’s dictatorship,” — Babak Alipour, death-row inmate

The Guardian

• “We had no idea for exactly nine days but yesterday he called my mum and he has been transferred to the same prison where my brother is now,” — Reza Younesi, professor

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• “This is like a horrible, brutal regime that we are talking about,” — Reza Younesi

The Guardian

• “Without a doubt, the day of freedom and happiness for the heroic people of the blasphemous mullahs will come soon.” — Babak Alipour (final video)

The Guardian

The executions illustrate how the Iranian regime leverages capital punishment to consolidate power amid conflict, raising concerns for regional stability and international human-rights obligations.

The Guardian

With war ongoing and no clear policy shift, further executions remain possible. International NGOs and foreign governments continue to monitor the situation, though diplomatic leverage appears limited.

The Guardian