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Iran Executes 1,639, Seizes Assets of Alleged Spies

5/7/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Iran's judiciary pledged decisive action against alleged foreign agents and seized assets of 22 individuals in Semnan province as traitors linked to Israel.
Three men were executed in Mashhad after brief trials that relied on forced confessions and violated fair-trial standards.
Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights reported 1,639 executions in 2025, a 68 % rise and the highest total since 1989, ranking Iran second after China.

History

Historical Context

In July 1988 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered a secret campaign that saw roughly 5,000 political prisoners executed across at least 32 cities, overseen by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Decades later, Iran’s judiciary again seized assets and carried out executions, prompting the United Nations Special Rapporteur to call the pattern a continuing crime against humanity.

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Story summary

Iran's judiciary pledged decisive action against alleged foreign agents and seized assets of 22 individuals in Semnan province as traitors linked to Israel.
Three men were executed in Mashhad after brief trials that relied on forced confessions and violated fair-trial standards.
Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights reported 1,639 executions in 2025, a 68 % rise and the highest total since 1989, ranking Iran second after China.

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