Iran has entered a chilling new era of repression, marked by a dramatic surge in executions, the looming threat of imminent death for political prisoners, and the harrowing neglect of vulnerable detainees in its notorious prison system. Over the past two weeks alone, the country has witnessed 161 executions, including four women, and a series of public hangings that have sent shockwaves through the international community. Human rights organizations and activists warn that these developments signal an intensification of state brutality designed to stamp out dissent and reinforce the regime’s grip on power amid growing domestic unrest.
On December 6, 2025, the case of Mohammad Javad Vafaei, a 30-year-old boxing champion and coach, took a dire turn. According to reports, the Iranian judiciary transferred Vafaei to solitary confinement in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, severing all his communication with the outside world. This move is widely interpreted as a precursor to his execution, which could be carried out at any moment. Vafaei’s ordeal began in January 2020, when he was arrested and subsequently subjected to severe torture. The Iranian judiciary has upheld his death sentence three times, citing his alleged support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), a group the regime considers a major threat to its authority.
The international response to Vafaei’s plight has been swift and vocal. A broad coalition of human rights organizations, public figures, and athletes have called on Tehran to halt the execution, while the Iranian Resistance has appealed to the United Nations, the European Union, and all governments committed to human rights to intervene urgently. Their message is clear: Vafaei’s life hangs in the balance, and the world must act to prevent another senseless death.
Yet Vafaei’s case is just one among many in a country where the machinery of execution has shifted into overdrive. In the two weeks leading up to December 7, 2025, the regime executed 161 prisoners—a staggering figure by any standard. Among the victims were four women, and in a chilling display reminiscent of medieval times, two prisoners were hanged publicly in Semnan. The pace of executions reached a fever pitch on December 2 and 3, when 53 prisoners were put to death within a 48-hour window. The list of those executed spans the country, including Karamkhoda Sepehri of Bojnurd, Amin Mahdavi of Mahshahr, Mehran Chaboksavar of Neyshabur, Siavash Khosravi of Kashan, and many others whose lives ended at the hands of the state.
The executions did not stop there. On December 2, additional victims included Malek Gerayi from Ilam, Aziz Sheikhi from Ferdows, Hamed Kazazi and another unnamed prisoner from Shiraz, Amirreza Shahmohammadi from Zanjan, Farshid Karami from Damghan, Esfandiar Zakipour from Quchan, Fariborz Niazi from Malayer, and Mohammad Javad Aminpour from Ardabil. Just two days later, on December 4, the killing continued with the executions of Hosseinali Yeganeh in Birjand and Rahim Mansouri in Kashmar. The Iranian Resistance has condemned these killings as part of a systematic campaign of fear and repression, urging the international community to isolate Tehran diplomatically and take concrete steps to protect those still on death row.
While the regime’s use of the death penalty has reached disturbing new heights, the suffering of political prisoners—particularly women—has also intensified. After a bombing in Evin Prison in July 2025, female detainees were transferred to Qarchak Prison, a facility infamous for its inhumane conditions. Recently, they were moved back to Evin, only to find themselves in a basement ward approximately 40 steps below ground. There, the conditions have been described as damp, filthy, and infested with rodents and insects, creating a nightmarish environment that amounts to both psychological and physical torture. For prisoners with serious medical conditions, these conditions are especially perilous.
Fatemeh Ziaei’s story exemplifies the plight of vulnerable detainees. At 68, Ziaei is a long-time political prisoner who has been arrested seven times since the 1980s and has spent a total of 13 years behind bars. She suffers from advanced Multiple Sclerosis, tuberculosis, and a severe internal infection. In January 2025, a medical examiner determined that she could not survive imprisonment, leading to her release on bail. But that reprieve was short-lived: Ziaei was re-arrested in August 2025 and brought before Tehran’s Revolutionary Court in October to face new charges. Her health has since deteriorated to a critical point, and the lack of access to proper medical care poses an immediate threat to her life.
Another troubling case is that of Shiva Esmaeili, who is serving a 10-year sentence and suffers from chronic, severe lower back pain. Despite the worsening of her condition, authorities have persistently denied her access to specialized medical treatment, placing her health in serious jeopardy. These stories, while harrowing, are far from unique in Iran’s penal system, where neglect and cruelty are all too common.
The Iranian Resistance and human rights defenders argue that the regime’s escalating brutality is a sign of desperation—a last-ditch effort to maintain power through fear and violence. They are calling on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, the European Union, and international human rights organizations to take immediate and decisive action. Their demands include halting executions, investigating widespread abuses in Iran’s prisons, and securing the release of prisoners whose lives are at risk. Without such intervention, they warn, the death toll will continue to climb, and the regime’s campaign of violence against political prisoners—women, young activists, and ordinary inmates alike—will persist unchecked.
As the world watches, the fate of prisoners like Mohammad Javad Vafaei and Fatemeh Ziaei remains uncertain. The regime’s willingness to employ mass executions, public hangings, and life-threatening neglect as tools of repression has drawn comparisons to some of history’s darkest chapters. For now, human rights advocates continue to sound the alarm, hoping that international pressure will force Tehran to change course and spare the lives of those who have already suffered so much.
In the face of escalating repression and a mounting death toll, the call for urgent international action has never been more pressing. The stories emerging from Iran’s prisons serve as a stark reminder of the cost of silence—and the imperative to stand up for those whose voices are being silenced by the state.
