HRANA- This report provides a statistical overview of human rights violations documented by HRANA during the month of July, 2026. The continued execution of political prisoners, including two public executions and the execution of two juvenile offenders were among the most significant human rights concerns documented during the month.
Executions
In July, at least 66 prisoners were executed in Iranian prisons. Since the beginning of the current year, HRANA has documented approximately 854 executions.
Among those executed were two women and four Afghan nationals. Two executions were carried out in public. Abolfazl Sepahi and Amirhossein Safari were publicly hanged in Isfahan in connection with the January 2026 protests.
During the same month, two prisoners were executed for offenses committed when they were under the age of 18, in violation of international standards prohibiting the execution of juvenile offenders.
Of the 66 people executed, 31 had been sentenced to death on murder charges, 24 on drug-related charges, and one on a charge of rape. The charge against one of those executed remains unknown. Particularly notable was the execution of nine individuals on political charges or on the charge of moharebeh (“enmity against God”).
During the month, Iranian judicial authorities also issued 25 death sentences, including one against a woman. Seventeen death sentences were issued on political charges. Among them was the death sentence handed down to Mahnam Navab Safavi, who was convicted of moharebeh after being arrested during the January 2026 protests.
Freedom of Thought and Expression
In July, HRANA documented the arrest of 71 individuals in connection with the exercise of their freedom of expression. During the same period, one home search, one summons to a security agency, and five summonses to court were also recorded as violations of freedom of expression. In addition, 20 individuals stood trial.
Iranian courts, particularly the Revolutionary Courts, sentenced 45 individuals on charges related to the exercise of freedom of expression, handing down a combined total of 2,656 months of imprisonment. One of the most notable cases was that of Afshin Heyratian, a children’s rights activist, who was sentenced to 31 years in prison on charges including propaganda activities contrary to the sacred law of Islam and forming an illegal group.
Other penalties imposed during the month included 142 lashes, 48 sentences of internal exile, three travel bans, and five cases of deprivation of social rights. In addition, a sentence of 60 lashes was carried out.
Prisoners’ Rights
During the past month, HRANA documented the following violations of prisoners’ rights: 23 cases of denial of adequate medical care to prisoners or detainees; 57 cases of detainees being held in prolonged legal limbo; 22 cases in which the families of detainees were not informed of their whereabouts or fate; 10 cases of the transfer of prisoners to solitary confinement; 30 cases of denial of access to legal counsel; 63 cases of prisoners being held in inadequate or inhumane conditions; 9 cases involving the extraction of forced confessions; 2 cases of denial of family visits; and 5 cases of denial of telephone contact.
In addition, 20 prisoners went on hunger strike to protest their conditions of detention or prison conditions more broadly.
HRANA also documented one attempted suicide in prison. Homeyra Sharifi, who was arrested during the 2025 nationwide protests and is currently imprisoned in Evin Prison, attempted suicide and was subsequently transferred to a hospital.
Kolbars and Fuel Carriers
In July, the indiscriminate use of firearms by Iranian military forces claimed the lives of seven civilians, including six kolbars and a 13-year-old child.
The child was returning home with family members after finishing work at their family orchard in a rural area of Sarvabad County, Kurdistan Province, when border guards, mistakenly believing their vehicle belonged to smugglers, opened fire.
Workers’ Rights
During the past month, HRANA documented 20 labor protests and 11 labor strikes.
Workplace accidents claimed the lives of at least 18 workers and injured 47 others during the month.
Trade associations and labor unions also organized 43 protest gatherings.
In addition, 48 commercial establishments were sealed, primarily on allegations of failure to observe Islamic standards.
Women’s Rights
In July, HRANA documented the killings of nine women. In addition, two men were killed in so-called “honor” killings.
In Lorestan Province, two girls died by suicide after their private photographs were circulated online.
Children’s Rights
With regard to children’s rights, HRANA documented four child killings, one suicide, one child death, and 25 child injuries resulting from negligence. The organization also recorded three cases of physical violence against children.
In addition, the death sentences of two juvenile offenders were carried out.
Religious Minorities
In July, at least nine members of Iran’s religious minorities were arrested by security forces. HRANA also documented four home searches and two trials involving members of religious minority communities.
During the same period, seven individuals were sentenced to a combined total of 744 months’ imprisonment. Among the most notable cases was Arman Misaghian, a Baha’i citizen, who was sentenced to three years in prison.
In addition, two sentences involving the deprivation of social rights were issued against members of religious minorities.
Ethnic Rights
With regard to the rights of ethnic minorities and activists working on their behalf, HRANA documented 12 arrests, one summons to a security agency, and four cases of physical assault during the month.
Inhuman Punishment
With regard to cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment, 15 individuals were sentenced to a total of 174 lashes during the month.
In addition, HRANA documented a violation of the right to privacy in which 117 people were arrested in Ramsar for allegedly “holding a nighttime party.”
