International jurists, Nobel laureates, and former UN officials warn of escalating repression and demand urgent accountability measures
A coalition of more than 300 international legal experts, former United Nations officials, Nobel Prize laureates, judges, and prominent human rights advocates has issued a strongly worded open letter urging the United Nations to take immediate action over the growing number of executions and intensifying political repression in Iran.
The letter, dated May 18, 2026, was addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and warns that Iranian authorities are dramatically expanding the use of capital punishment as a tool to suppress dissent.
Among the signatories are several high-profile international figures, including former President of the UN Human Rights Council Joachim Rücker, former International Criminal Court President Sang-Hyun Song, former UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Javaid Rehman, and Nobel Peace Prize laureates Oleksandra Matviichuk and Jody Williams.
In the letter, the signatories stated:
“We write to express grave concern over the accelerating use of the death penalty in Iran as an instrument of political repression.”
Concerns Over Escalating Crackdown
According to the document, Iranian authorities have intensified arrests, executions, and restrictions on civil liberties since regional tensions escalated on February 28, 2026.
The letter alleges that the government has launched a coordinated campaign involving “mass arrests, torture, and state sanctioned killing” while simultaneously “cut[ting] off internet access for the general population” in an effort to suppress internal unrest and restrict the flow of information.
The signatories warned:
“The scale of executions has reached levels not seen in nearly four decades.”
Political Prisoners Facing Execution
The letter highlights the situation of political detainees, particularly individuals accused of links to opposition groups.
“At least eight political prisoners have been executed solely due to affiliation with the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK), while at least 11 others currently face execution on similar grounds,” the document states.
The appeal also refers to protesters who were reportedly sentenced to death after expedited legal proceedings.
“Others have been put to death for taking part in protests on charges such as baghi (‘armed rebellion’) after summary trials,” the letter added.
Judiciary Accused of Encouraging Harsh Punishments
Citing findings from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, the signatories argued that senior Iranian officials have publicly supported harsher treatment of demonstrators and dissidents.
According to the letter:
“The Prosecutor General declared that all protesters had committed moharebeh (‘enmity against God’), a capital offence, while the Head of the Judiciary instructed judges to show ‘no mercy’ in protest-related cases.”
The document also references estimates by the Fact-Finding Mission indicating that more than 50,000 protesters have been arrested during recent unrest across the country.
Link to Iran’s History of Impunity
One of the central arguments in the letter is that the current wave of executions reflects a broader pattern rooted in decades of impunity.
“This wave of executions cannot be separated from Iran’s long-standing culture of impunity, rooted in the 1988 massacre…” the signatories wrote, drawing parallels between the current situation and the mass executions of political prisoners carried out in the late 1980s.
🚨 Former presidents of the UN General Assembly, Human Rights Council, and Security Council & @IntlCrimCourt and former UN Special Rapporteur on Iran @JavaidRehman are among +300 signatories of new letter urging @antonioguterres & @volker_turk to act now to #StopExecutionsInIran. https://t.co/0grzneH6vG pic.twitter.com/5ac0izK3TD
— M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) May 18, 2026
Calls for Immediate International Response
The experts urged the United Nations and its member states to pursue concrete measures aimed at halting the crackdown in Iran.
Their demands include an immediate suspension of executions, the release of political prisoners, the restoration of unrestricted internet access, and the establishment of international accountability mechanisms to investigate alleged violations.
The letter concludes with a warning to the international community:
“Silence in the face of these atrocities only reinforces impunity.”
The appeal comes amid renewed calls by Iranian judicial officials for faster implementation of sentences in security-related cases, following months marked by executions, widespread arrests, and internet disruptions after anti-government unrest across the country.
