Iran continues executing dissidents despite a fragile US ceasefire

Despite an ongoing ceasefire between the United States and Iran, the Iranian regime continues to execute dissidents.

Two non-government organizations report Tehran executed over 1,600 people in 2025, a 68% increase from the previous year. The organizations say the actual numbers are likely much higher because Iranian authorities do not publicly announce all executions carried out. This increase also occurred before major protests against the regime spread across the country earlier this year — leading to even more executions.

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The first female protester, Bitta Hamadi, is set to be sentenced to death. She was recently tried alongside her husband and two others who face the same fate. Human rights groups say the charges are based on forced confessions obtained under torture.

In the last month, Iran executed nearly a dozen men, including one teenager, who were sentenced just weeks after their arrests. The author of the report detailing these executions was recently arrested at her home. Her whereabouts and fate remain unknown.

Meanwhile, the condition of Nobel Peace Prize winner Narjaz Mohammadi continues to deteriorate inside an Iranian prison. Her foundation previously announced she had suffered beatings. Based on two in-person visits in March and April, the foundation says her situation is now critical. They report she had a heart attack in late March, has lost significant weight, and has experienced many other health issues since her arrest. The foundation is calling on human rights groups and the United Nations to intervene.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has said executions of Iranian citizens is one of his so-called red lines as peace negotiations continue. The United States and Iran agreed to a fragile two-week cease-fire last week, which led to direct talks in Pakistan last Saturday. Those meetings ended without a peace agreement, and the two sides have not met since.