Iran execution tally hits 2025 high, MEK says as UN condemns spree
MEK reports 2,013 executions through Dec. 15 under President Masoud Pezeshkian; United Nations condemns Tehran’s execution campaign; U.S. and European officials seek increased pressure.
The Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) on Tuesday released a report alleging that Iran has executed 2,013 people from Jan. 1 through Dec. 15 this year, a figure it says comes under President Masoud Pezeshkian and marks the highest annual total since the 1980s. The claim comes as the United Nations adopted a resolution condemning Tehran for what the body described as an unprecedented execution campaign, described by the MEK as happening “in the strongest terms.” The UN resolution and the MEK tally both underscore a sharp rise in executions amid economic turmoil, protests and internal political frictions, according to the dissident group.
The MEK documents, provided to Fox News Digital, describe a currency free-fall, nationwide protests, factional power struggles, renewed sanctions and fractures among Iran’s leadership as factors driving the surge in executions. The group says the year-to-date total surpasses the 2024 UN count of 975, which had been the highest since 2015. The 2024 figure reported by the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights was 1,001, according to the MEK’s presentation.
A United Nations statement previously noted that Iran was delivering as many as nine executions per day at the height of the 2024 period, prompting hunger strikes by death-row inmates and drawing renewed international attention. In a separate debate, a State Department spokesperson condemned Tehran’s use of the death penalty as political repression, saying, “We strongly condemn the Iranian regime’s use of execution as a tool of political repression. For decades, the regime has subjected Iranians to torture, forced confessions, and sham trials, resulting in unlawful executions.” The spokesperson added that innocent civilians are being exploited to bolster the regime’s political narrative while sanctions targeting Iran’s coffers remain in effect, including measures against vessels in Iran’s shadow fleet.
Analysts say the administration’s approach to Iran has shifted in recent years, with some observers arguing that Washington could deploy a broader set of tools in tandem with like-minded partners. Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran Program, told Fox News Digital that further steps are warranted and that the United States has “lagged behind” allies that have imposed sanctions and other penalties in response to Tehran’s human rights violations. Canada’s recent sanctions on individuals linked to protests in Mashhad in December illustrate a growing willingness among Western partners to broaden pressure beyond symbolic rhetoric, Taleblu said. He added that Iran arrested more than 21,000 people after protests described by some observers as a June crackdown, and cautioned that repression remains broad and systemic as the regime seeks to preserve its grip on power.
The MEK has urged U.S. policymakers to recognize Iranians’ right to resist and to support a democratic transition as the only lasting way to end theocracy, according to the group. On Dec. 10, the European Parliament marked International Human Rights Day by calling for action against Iran over its execution campaign. Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, addressed lawmakers, urging that all relations with the regime be conditioned on halting executions and calling for the IRGC and Ministry of Intelligence to be placed on a terrorist list.
In a case cited by the MEK, Zahra Tabari, a 67-year-old engineer and mother, is described as having been sentenced after a “sham 10-minute trial” in which she lacked access to her chosen legal representation, according to MEK documents. The MEK says Tabari was arrested for holding a banner reading “Woman, Resistance, Freedom.” The organization says she is among those on death row as Iran’s overall toll has doubled since October, aligning with the UN’s earlier warnings of an escalating spree. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment on the MEK report.
For context, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has previously warned that Iran’s executions could reach levels not seen since the 1980s, and the government’s response to dissent has included long detentions, show trials and harsh security crackdowns. In recent days, a hunger-strike movement by several death-row inmates drew renewed international attention, though Tehran has rejected external criticism as interference in domestic affairs.
As the year draws toward its end, Iranian authorities have shown no signs of scaling back the use of capital punishment, while protesters and dissidents continue to call for accountability. The UN’s condemnation, along with mounting Western pressure and the MEK’s ongoing advocacy, ensures that Iran’s human rights record remains a focal point of international scrutiny well into 2026.
