Iran Executes 21, Detains Over 4,000, UN Calls for Moratorium

Since the US-Israeli strikes on 28 February 2026 that launched the war, Iran has executed at least 21 people and detained over 4,000 on national-security charges, the UN Human Rights Office reports. Nine executions relate to the January 2026 protests, ten to opposition ties, and two to espionage.

EuronewsUN Human Rights Chief: Iran Executes 21 Since Start of US-Israel WarIran executes 21, arrests over 4,000 since West Asia conflict began: UNThe Straits Times

The conflict began after coordinated US and Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to invoke wartime conditions in its courts. The judiciary has since accelerated convictions, citing national-security imperatives.

Euronews

Detained individuals, including children, report forced disappearances, torture, mock executions and coerced televised confessions. Prisoners face overcrowding, shortages of food, water, hygiene supplies and medical care. Iran’s internet was shut down for 61 days, a long outage, restricting information flow.

The Straits Times

UN High Commissioner Volker Türk called for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty, due-process guarantees and release of detained persons, warning that Iran’s national-security definition endangers many. Iran’s chief justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei defended asset seizures as lawful for reconstruction. Former US President Donald Trump claimed Tehran halted executions of 800 dissidents, a claim Tehran denied.

Iran executed 21 people since onset of war: UNEuronewsUN Human Rights Chief: Iran Executes 21 Since Start of US-Israel WarThe Straits Times

UN officials described the crackdown as “harsh and brutal,” urging that rights safeguards remain proportionate in wartime. Amnesty International noted Iran’s execution rate is second to China, calling for independent investigations into alleged torture and mock executions.

The Straits Times

Trump’s claim of halting 800 executions and eight women conflicts with Tehran’s denial. Sources differ on whether the reporting agency is UNHCR or OHCHR, though both cite the same figures. Precise detainee counts remain estimates due to limited prison access.

The Straits Times

• “I am shocked and alarmed,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “The Iranian authorities continue to severely restrict people’s rights.” — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Euronews

• “I am appalled that – on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict – the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways,” — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Straits Times

• “In times of war, threats to human rights increase exponentially. Yet even where national security is invoked, human rights can only be limited where strictly necessary and proportionate,” — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Straits Times

• “ Iran’s chief justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei on Tuesday said that the seizure of assets belonging to the “enemy” collaborators is required by law, and the confiscated amount will be redistributed to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by the war.” — Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Chief Justice of Iran

Iran executed 21 people since onset of war: UN

The UN will continue monitoring Iran’s detention practices, urging restoration of internet services and independent verification of prison conditions. Further reports are slated for submission to the UN Human Rights Council later this year.

The Straits Times