Following Khamenei’s warnings that “the real threat is internal,” Iran’s regime intensifies repression with record executions, arbitrary arrests, and systematic crackdowns
Following the 12-day war and the heavy blows suffered by the regime, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei repeatedly emphasized that “the real threat comes from within,” not from foreign enemies. This shift in focus has led to an escalation in domestic repression — including widespread executions, arbitrary arrests, and torture — as the regime seeks to suppress dissent and prevent new uprisings.
In recent weeks, intelligence and security forces have launched a sweeping campaign of arrests under various pretexts, detaining hundreds across the country. Continuous executions throughout September have plunged many families into mourning, as Iran witnessed one of the deadliest months of 2025 in terms of human rights violations.
Human Rights Situation in September 2025
Executions:
According to reports, at least 203 people were executed across Iranian prisons in September. Among them:
- 196 men convicted of ordinary crimes
- 6 women
- 1 political prisoner
The victims included 15 Baluchis, 28 Kurds, and 11 Afghan nationals, reflecting the disproportionate targeting of ethnic and vulnerable groups.
Executed Women
- Gohar Taheri-Eghdam, 52, executed on September 2, 2025 in Zanjan Central Prison on charges of murder.
- Hadiqeh Abadi, an Afghan national, executed with her husband Hafez Ghavidast, 30, on September 11, 2025 in Qazvin Central Prison on drug charges. Their two children were deported to Afghanistan after the parents’ arrest.
- Zahra Fotouhi, 52, executed on September 17, 2025 in Tabriz Central Prison on charges of murder.
- Unidentified woman, executed on September 17, 2025 in Sabzevar Prison.
- Mahnaz Dehghani, executed on September 24, 2025 in Shiraz Central Prison on murder charges.
- Jeyran Zaheri, executed on September 29, 2025 in Isfahan Central Prison on murder charges.
Execution of a Political Prisoner
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Mehrān Bahramian, 32, was executed on September 6, 2025 in Isfahan Central Prison on charges of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) and “acting against national security.”
He had been arrested during the 2022 nationwide uprising, alongside his brother Fāzel Bahramian and several other young men from Semirom.
Arrests and Detentions
At least 131 people were detained across Iran during September under various pretexts:
- Political arrests: 87 individuals — including Kurdish and Baluchi citizens, teachers’ union activists, lawyers, athletes, unemployed protesters, and even a defrocked Shiite cleric — were detained either to enforce prison sentences or without clear charges.
- Arbitrary arrests: 43 individuals, mostly Afghan nationals and Baluchi laborers, were detained without stated reasons.
- Religious persecution: 1 Baha’i citizen was arrested arbitrarily.
Extrajudicial Killings
The regime’s forces killed 17 people in September, including:
- 4 fuel porters (sookhtbars)
- 1 Kurdish border porter (kulbar)
- 11 other citizens shot by security forces or died during violent raids
- 1 person killed under torture
Escalating Repression
The surge in executions and arrests underscores Tehran’s growing fear of renewed protests and public anger over the country’s deepening social and economic crises. Khamenei’s regime, bruised by military setbacks and growing internal dissent, has chosen intensified repression as its main strategy to maintain control.
Human rights organizations and Iranian activists warn that the scale of these violations in just one month reveals the regime’s systemic use of executions and arbitrary detention as instruments of political survival.
