Executions, arrests and paranoia: Inside Iran’s crackdown on its own people after Israeli strikes
This article first appeared in our partner site, Independent Persian
As part of a wider crackdown on dissent in recent days, the Iranian parliament has passed a bill titled ‘Enhancement of penalties for espionage and for individuals cooperating with the Zionist regime and hostile states against national security and interests’. The legislation makes it easier to accuse citizens of spying.
This move comes in the wake of Israeli attacks that killed dozens of senior military commanders of the Islamic Republic, resulting in a surge of mistrust inside the Iranian political establishment. Government officials have even accused one another in public interviews of collaborating with Israel and leaking classified information.
The new bill, which was passed less than a week after the military conflict between Iran and Israel began, is being promoted by its supporters as a tool to confront “enemy infiltration”. However, analysts and human rights organisations warn that the legal measure poses a serious threat to civil liberties, press freedom, and social activism.
According to official statements seen by Independent Persian, under this bill, sending photos or videos to foreign media outlets or commenting on security-related issues on social media could be considered “spreading corruption on earth”—a charge that can carry the death penalty in Iran.
In line with this policy, the Judiciary’s Social Affairs Department has sent warnings to citizens over text, warning them that following “Zionist regime-affiliated” pages on social media constitutes a crime. Meanwhile, hundreds of individuals across the country have been arrested on charges such as “espionage”, “disturbing public opinion,” or “collaborating with Israel”.
Security-affiliated media outlets in Iran reported that more than 700 people had been arrested last week, and dozens more arrests have been reported since. On Wednesday, the judiciary of the southwestern Fars region announced that they had pressed charges against 47 individuals suspected of collaborating with Israel.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also announced the arrest of 26 citizens in the province of Khuzestan, an oil-rich region that borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, on charges of “security infiltration”. There were also reports that a person was arrested in Tehran’s underground metro simply for “suspicious movement” and carrying an electronic chip, which police claimed had been used to send information about sensitive locations and receive “instructions in Hebrew”.
Alongside this wave of arrests, hasty executions have added a deeply troubling dimension to the situation. In less than two weeks, at least six people have been executed on charges of collaborating with Israel. Among them were Esmail Fekri, Majid Masibi, and Mohammad Mahdavi, who were sentenced to death on various allegations including espionage, cyber network membership, or transferring equipment. They were sentenced behind closed doors without access to legal representation.
Additionally, three ‘kolbars’, porters who carry goods on their backs across Iran’s borders, were executed in Urmia Prison in the northwestern West Azerbaijan region on similar charges.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about the nature of these trials, noting that many of the verdicts are issued in a matter of minutes without fair legal proceedings. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran, Mai Soto, has also expressed alarm over the surge in executions and the dire conditions faced by political prisoners.
Amnesty International, in a statement issued on June 24, criticized the Islamic Republic for executing six people for espionage and arresting hundreds more on similar charges since June 15. The organization called for an end to the crackdown, emphasizing that Iranian authorities are using the death penalty as a tool to instill fear and exert political control over society.
There have also been reports of the arrest of cultural figures. Reza Daryakenari, an artist and graphic designer, was arrested at a cafe in Tehran and initially transferred to Evin Prison. After an Israeli airstrike on the prison, he was moved to Fashafouyeh Prison. Similarly, Hamid Pishqadam, a resident of the city of Shahriar in the vicinity of Tehran, was arrested in a raid by security forces and taken to the IRGC Intelligence Center in the northern city of Karaj, with no formal charges announced.
These actions are not merely a response to foreign threats but a broad attempt by Iran’s government to control society, suppress dissent, and escape its own crisis of legitimacy. The passing of vague and far-reaching laws, mass arrests, show trials, and swift executions all point to a regime seeking to eliminate voices of dissent from the public space.
