Rights groups say executions of Afghan migrants are rising in Iran, sparking global concern about fair trials and how vulnerable people are being treated.
Iranian human rights organizations report that at least 85 prisoners have been executed in Iranian prisons in the month following the Israel-Iran ceasefire.
According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, six of those executed were Afghan citizens, though their identities and charges have not been disclosed.
The remaining executions included 15 Lur prisoners, 12 Turks, 12 Kurds, and six Baluch. Six people were also executed on charges of “spying for Israel,” but it is unclear if any were Afghan.
Hengaw and other groups say executions of Afghan citizens in Iran have sharply increased in recent years, fueling growing alarm among rights defenders.
Earlier data from Hengaw shows that in the first six months of 2025 alone, 40 Afghan nationals were executed in Iran, while at least 73 were executed in 2024.
Iran’s extensive use of the death penalty — including against Afghan migrants — has drawn heavy criticism from international human rights groups, who describe Tehran as one of the world’s worst offenders.
Many of these executions are linked to drug trafficking or political charges, but rights monitors say trials often lack transparency and basic legal safeguards, raising serious concerns about due process.
