20 May 2026 :

18 May, 2026 - IRAN. 700 executions since the start of 2026

With the four executions reportedly carried out on 17 May, Iran has reached a total of 700 executions since the start of 2026.

2026 has been a very unusual year, first due to the nationwide protests, which were brutally suppressed by the government, and then due to attacks by the US and Israel. The entire period has been characterised by the Iranian government’s iron-fisted control of the internet, including prolonged service suspensions. Using Chinese technology and consultancy, the Iranian government has been able to identify those attempting to circumvent the internet blockade, and has carried out hundreds of arrests, often equating the mere act of attempting to communicate with the outside world with ‘espionage’. Due to internet ‘censorship’, Iranian exile NGOs that have been tracking executions for years have reported relatively few cases in recent months, particularly between 1 March (when recorded executions had already reached 634) and the present day. It is unclear whether the ‘few’ executions over the last 10 weeks (66) represent a genuine decrease in executions, or merely a result of the government’s tight control over the internet, and the consequent difficulty for NGOs in obtaining updates from their information networks within Iran.