New Wave of Executions Reveals the Regime’s Fear of Iranian Society

As political, economic, and social crises continue to deepen across Iran, the ruling establishment has once again resorted to its traditional instrument of repression: mass executions. During just two days, May 31 and June 1, 2026, at least 18 prisoners were executed in various Iranian cities, including members of the Baluch minority and other detainees from different regions. One execution was carried out publicly in the city of Rasht.

Nizam Mir Mohammadi, writer and expert on Iranian affairs, stated:

“This bloody escalation cannot be separated from the current political situation. Whenever internal crises intensify and public dissatisfaction grows, the regime turns to executions as a means of spreading fear and preventing the emergence of new protests.”

He emphasized that executions have become a political and security tool rather than a judicial measure, aimed at suppressing dissent and discouraging further social unrest following the nationwide uprisings of recent months.

“The public execution in Rasht sends a message of intimidation, but it also reveals the deep anxiety within the regime’s security apparatus. Governments that are confident of their stability do not need to display gallows in public squares,” he added.

Mir Mohammadi noted that international human rights organizations, the United Nations, and the European Parliament have repeatedly expressed concern over Iran’s extensive use of the death penalty, making it one of the world’s leading executioners relative to its population.

In this context, the major Iranian gathering scheduled for June 20, 2026, in Paris will provide an important international platform to condemn executions and human rights violations, while expressing solidarity with the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy.

He concluded: “Executions may temporarily delay public unrest, but they cannot solve the regime’s underlying crises. The real challenge facing the authorities is their growing loss of legitimacy before a population demanding freedom, justice, and democratic change.”