Fears are mounting that the Iranian state may be preparing to repeat the 1988 massacre in which thousands of political prisoners were executed. Human rights defenders and opposition sources report a surge in executions and warn that systematic state repression is laying the groundwork for another mass killing.
On Sunday morning, two political prisoners, 48-year-old Mehdi Hassani and 70-year-old Behrouz Ehsani, were executed without prior notice, deepening concerns of a looming campaign of mass violence. The executions were reportedly carried out without informing the families, and the bodies were not returned but instead buried in secret.
Mehdi Hassani had previously condemned the regime’s repression in voice messages shared publicly. Behrouz Ehsani declared his readiness to dedicate his life to the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom.
According to reports, executions have increasingly been used as public instruments of intimidation, allegedly under the direct orders of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Human rights activist Saeed Masouri, who has been imprisoned for 25 years, wrote in a letter from prison that the regime no longer targets prisoners through formal “death commissions,” but now does so through arbitrary orders to kill. Masouri was recently taken from his cell with his face covered and forcibly transferred to Zahedan Prison, which is widely known for torture and abuse.
Dowlat Nowrouzi, the United Kingdom representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), criticized the international community for its failure to take effective action against the crimes against humanity committed by the Iranian regime. She said, “This climate of impunity only emboldens the regime to carry out new massacres.”
The danger was underscored once again this month when Fars News Agency, which operates under state control, openly justified a repeat of the 1988 mass executions. In that year, approximately 30,000 political prisoners were executed.
With over 1,000 executions recorded in official figures last year, Iran remains the leading country in the world for carrying out the highest number of executions. Activists fear that this number could rise even further in 2025.
The atmosphere of repression in Iran extends far beyond executions. Just last month, approximately 700 people were reportedly arrested on allegations of being linked to a “spy network.” Arbitrary detentions and the widespread use of torture in detention centers have become increasingly common.
Human rights defenders warn that the Iranian regime is preparing for a new wave of mass executions, and stress that the international community must not remain silent this time. They argue that the regime is attempting to conceal its internal structural collapse by targeting the most vulnerable segments of society.
Amnesty International condemns secret executions in Iran
Following the secret executions of Behrouz Ehsani (69) and Mehdi Hassani on July 27, 2025, Amnesty International issued a statement highlighting the growing wave of political repression and executions in Iran and called for an immediate halt to all executions in the country.
Kristine Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that both political prisoners were executed in secret, without any notice given to their families or themselves, and that their right to a fair trial had been completely denied. Ehsani and Hassani had been denied access to legal counsel for nearly two years and were forced to represent themselves in a sham trial that lasted only five minutes. The main evidence used against them consisted of coerced “confessions” obtained through torture and pressure.
According to Amnesty International, during their time in prison, Ehsani and Hassani conducted a peaceful protest against the death penalty by holding hunger strikes every Tuesday. Their campaign, titled “No to Executions on Tuesdays,” became a target of the Iranian authorities’ broader effort to silence dissent. Beckerle said, “These executions clearly demonstrate how Iranian authorities are using the death penalty as a tool of political repression.”
Fear of a new 1988
Amnesty International expressed concern that the recent executions, coupled with calls from Iranian state media to repeat the mass political executions of 1988, could signal the beginning of a broader campaign of capital punishment. It is widely known that thousands of political prisoners were secretly executed in 1988.
The organization also noted that repression has intensified in Iran following the escalation of tensions with Israel in June. Numerous individuals have been arrested, court procedures have been expedited, and a draft law that would make it easier to approve death sentences has been submitted for parliamentary approval.
Other prisoners at risk
Amnesty International has released the names of at least 19 individuals who are currently at risk of execution for political reasons. Among them is Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian academic who disappeared following an Israeli attack, as well as three women’s rights defenders: Pakshan Azizi, Warisha Moradi, and Sharifeh Mohammadi.
At least nine individuals linked to the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” protests are also facing the death penalty, in addition to six others associated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), which the Iranian regime has designated as a terrorist group. Those at risk include Fazel Bahramian, Mehran Bahramian, Abolhassan Montazer, and Vahid Bani Amerian.
Amnesty International also noted that at least 13 more people are believed to be at risk of imminent execution and urged the international community to take immediate action.