Iran Escalates Crackdown on Dissidents, Surge in Executions
Recent reports indicate that Iran’s crackdown on dissent has intensified significantly, with nearly 50 executions and around 6,000 arbitrary detentions occurring over the last three months. Hadi Ghami, head of the Iranian Center for Human Rights, expressed concern that these actions are out of control, severely impacting the daily lives of opposition members.
In a related development, over 1,000 inmates on death row at Gezer Hessar prison are now three weeks into a hunger strike to protest the ongoing execution practices of the regime. Some prisoners have resorted to sewing their mouths shut as a form of protest, according to various reports.
The growing unrest at this US-sanctioned facility near Tehran highlights escalating international apprehension regarding the Iranian government’s frequent use of the death penalty, predominantly for drug-related offenses.
As reported by the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), the hunger strike commenced on July 13 after six prisoners were moved to solitary confinement in anticipation of their executions. Other Iranian human rights organizations noted that the inmates were primarily convicted for drug offenses.
Footage from the protests shows prisoners chanting against executions and taking drastic actions, including sewing their lips. One video featured an inmate speaking to a camera, expressing his intention to sew his lips after a lack of response from prison authorities six days into his hunger strike.
On July 27, the Iranian National Council of Resistance (NCRI) issued a statement indicating that the health of the prisoners at Gezer Hessar Prison was deteriorating due to the hunger strike. They emphasized that despite the urgency of their medical needs, the prison guards have failed to offer any assistance.
The NCRI also called for public support and urged human rights organizations worldwide to intervene and halt the executions.
This uprising marks the second significant protest at the facility in recent months. There was a similar incident back in October 2025, when over 1,500 inmates engaged in a six-day hunger strike. That protest ended when prison officials visited the site and allegedly promised to pause executions and review the inmates’ cases. However, human rights activists later reported that these commitments were never fulfilled.
The U.S. Department of State designated Gezer Hessar Prison for egregious human rights violations and inhumane treatment of prisoners in 2024. The Secretary of State at the time highlighted cases of severe beatings suffered by political prisoners who were participating in peaceful hunger strikes to protest the increasing number of executions.
According to Amnesty International, Iran executed at least 2,159 individuals in 2025, contributing to a global total of at least 2,707 executions recorded across 17 nations. This figure represents the highest recorded by Amnesty since 1981 and does not account for cases in China, where execution data remains a state secret and is believed to involve thousands more.
