Iran on Saturday executed six death-row inmates who, it alleged, carried out attacks in the country’s oil-rich Khuzestan province on behalf of Israel.
Iran accused the men of killing police officers, targeting security forces, and orchestrating bombings around Khorramshahr. According to state media, these men are believed to be the latest inmates executed in a wave of executions seen as the highest in decades, reported news agency AP.
The executions come in the wake of the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June, after which Tehran vowed to strike its adversaries both domestically and abroad. Rights activists, however, caution that Iran often uses coerced confessions and conducts closed-door trials in cases involving capital punishment, particularly those linked to Israel.
Iranian state television broadcast footage of one of the men speaking about the alleged attacks, stating it was the first time such details had been revealed. Their names were not immediately recognisable.
Khuzestan, home to a significant Arab minority, has long been restive, with insurgent groups attacking oil pipelines and infrastructure as part of a low-level insurgency. The province has also seen waves of unrest during nationwide protests in recent years.
In a separate case, Iran also executed another inmate accused of killing a Sunni cleric in 2009 in Kurdistan province.
Human rights monitors say Tehran is executing prisoners at a rate not seen since 1988, when thousands were killed at the end of the Iran-Iraq war. The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group and the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center have reported that over 1,000 people have been executed in 2025, though the actual number may be higher as Iran does not publicise all executions.
Independent UN human rights experts have also condemned the surge in executions, urging Iran to ensure due process and transparency.
Iran accused the men of killing police officers, targeting security forces, and orchestrating bombings around Khorramshahr. According to state media, these men are believed to be the latest inmates executed in a wave of executions seen as the highest in decades, reported news agency AP.
The executions come in the wake of the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June, after which Tehran vowed to strike its adversaries both domestically and abroad. Rights activists, however, caution that Iran often uses coerced confessions and conducts closed-door trials in cases involving capital punishment, particularly those linked to Israel.
Iranian state television broadcast footage of one of the men speaking about the alleged attacks, stating it was the first time such details had been revealed. Their names were not immediately recognisable.
Khuzestan, home to a significant Arab minority, has long been restive, with insurgent groups attacking oil pipelines and infrastructure as part of a low-level insurgency. The province has also seen waves of unrest during nationwide protests in recent years.
In a separate case, Iran also executed another inmate accused of killing a Sunni cleric in 2009 in Kurdistan province.
Human rights monitors say Tehran is executing prisoners at a rate not seen since 1988, when thousands were killed at the end of the Iran-Iraq war. The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group and the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center have reported that over 1,000 people have been executed in 2025, though the actual number may be higher as Iran does not publicise all executions.
Independent UN human rights experts have also condemned the surge in executions, urging Iran to ensure due process and transparency.
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