HANA Human Rights Organization expresses its grave concern over the intensification of state repression in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the aftermath of the ceasefire agreement reached with Israel on 13 June 2025. Credible evidence indicates a sharp increase in arbitrary arrests, secretive trials, torture, and the imposition of the death penalty—particularly targeting Kurdish civilians and other minority communities.
On 25 June 2025, three Kurdish political prisoners—Edris Ali, Azad Shojaei, and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul—were executed at Orumiyeh Central Prison after being convicted of espionage for Israel. According to reliable reports, the executions were carried out without prior notice to their families, without access to independent legal representation, and followed a pattern of coerced confessions obtained under duress. The use of the death penalty in such circumstances violates fundamental principles of due process and the right to a fair trial under Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a party.
These executions are part of a broader campaign of repression. Since the ceasefire, security forces have reportedly arrested over 700 individuals, including civil society activists, ethnic minority citizens, and social media users, often under vaguely defined national security charges such as “collaboration with hostile states” or “propaganda against the regime.” Many detainees have been denied access to legal counsel or their families and are at heightened risk of torture, ill-treatment, and forced confessions, in violation of Article 7 of the ICCPR and the UN Convention Against Torture, which Iran has signed but not ratified.
Furthermore, the discriminatory application of the death penalty against ethnic minorities—especially Kurds—reflects an entrenched pattern of ethno-political persecution. This pattern has drawn repeated condemnation from UN Special Rapporteurs and international human rights mechanisms.
HANA calls on the Iranian authorities to:
Immediately halt all executions, particularly those resulting from trials that violate international standards of due process and fairness;
Release all individuals detained on political or ethnic grounds, or ensure that charges are brought in fair and transparent judicial proceedings;
Ensure prompt access to legal representation, medical care, and family visits for all detainees;
Facilitate independent monitoring of detention conditions and interrogation practices by UN special procedures or credible non-governmental actors;
Cease the use of torture, solitary confinement, and forced confessions, and investigate all allegations of ill-treatment.
HANA urges the international community, including the UN Human Rights Council, the European Union, and concerned governments, to take urgent diplomatic and legal measures to hold the Iranian authorities accountable and to protect the rights of those most at risk.
We reaffirm our solidarity with the Kurdish people and all communities in Iran facing repression. Human dignity, due process, and freedom from torture must never be sacrificed—especially in times of political crisis.
HANA Human Rights Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
June 26, 2025