In a concerning development, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada al-Nashif, is set to visit Tehran to investigate the high rate of executions and violations of women's rights in Iran. The move comes as human rights organizations, including the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), sound the alarm over a surge in executions, particularly after the Supreme Court rejected appeals for four Kurdish men.

On Monday, the four men were executed on charges of planning an attack ordered by Israel's Mossad agency, a claim vehemently denied by their families. The families allege that the detainees were denied their legal rights, including the right to inspect documents, and were not allowed to see their lawyers or families. Additionally, they claim that the confessions were obtained through torture.

According to Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, Director of IHR, January alone saw 67 completed death sentences, marking a disturbing increase. He points to a pattern where, since the beginning of Israel's war with Hamas in October, an average of three people are executed daily. The number of executions for drug-related crimes is also reported to be 20 times higher than three years ago.

Amiry-Moghaddam expresses concern over the perceived disinterest of the international community and organizations like the United Nations, suggesting that it has emboldened Iranian leaders to use intimidation and force to silence dissent.

The situation has led to a series of protests, with all female political detainees in Evin Prison and 10 male political prisoners in Ghezel Hesar prison embarking on a hunger strike in protest of the recent wave of executions.

Iran Human Rights and other organizations have called upon the international community to end its silence and urged al-Nashif to postpone her trip to Tehran. Marta Hurtado Gomez, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, acknowledges the seriousness of the human rights situation in Iran and emphasizes the need to explore ways to improve it.

The report highlights the challenges in obtaining accurate information, with Iran not officially publishing the number of death row inmates. Families are often threatened to discourage them from making such information public. This lack of transparency contributes to many executions becoming known only years later when families bravely speak out.

In the wake of protests in 2022 and 2023, where the judiciary aimed to execute many arrested protesters, international political pressure slowed down the justice system. However, recent developments indicate a resurgence in executions, raising concerns about human rights violations in the country.