Repression in Iran worsened after 12-day war with Israel: UN probe

United Nations factfinders on Thursday denounced Iran's intensification of oppression since the country's 12-day war with Israel in June, with more than 21,000 arrests and mistreatment of minorities and journalists.

"Since March of this year, we have documented further deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran," said Sara Hossain, who heads the Independent International Fact Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran, a body established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022. 

"Airstrikes by Israel on Iranian territory and a subsequent domestic crackdown by the Iranian authorities further constricted civic space, undermined due process, and eroded respect for the right to life."

Of the 21,000 people arrested by Iranian authorities during the 12-day war, Hossain said the Islamic Republic targetted a broad swath of Iran's civil society, including "lawyers, human rights defenders, journalists, and even social media users who simply published content relating to the hostilities."

Iran has also ramped up executions, with more than 1,200 to date in 2025 -- already exceeding the 2024 total, which was the highest recorded figure in Iran since 2015.

"There are strong indications that the Government of Iran continues to systematically implement the death penalty in ways that contravene international human rights law," Hossain said.

The investigation also found that the Islamic Republic's repression of ethnic and religious minorities has "intensified" with "over 330 Kurds and large numbers of Arabs" arrested and "hundreds of thousands of Afghans" deported, Hossain said.

Iran has accused members of the Baha'i faith of being "Zionist spies," targetting them in house raids and confiscating their property, Hossain said.

The probe also found Iran's government continuously deactivates journalists' SIM cards, and repression of the press is "not confined to Iran's borders," she added.

"We have received information indicating that over 45 journalists face credible threats in seven countries for reporting on events in Iran," Hossain said, denouncing the intimidation and surveillance as violations of free expression and security.

Hossain noted that current repressions reflect "a recurring pattern where the government of Iran responds to protests and dissent with intense repression marked by human rights violations."

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly cracked down on protest movements, including a university student uprising in 1999 and 2009's Green Movement, in response to the contested re-election of then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  

Hossain's UN mission was created in the wake of Iran's harsh crackdowns on the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests in 2022, which were sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for allegedly flouting modesty laws for women.

"Repressive measures and policies continue to deprive women and girls of their fundamental rights," she said.

The mission also examined Israel's deadly airstrikes on Evin prison. 

"Our preliminary investigation indicates that the Israeli airstrikes hit civilian buildings in the prison complex, which do not constitute legitimate military objectives, and that the strikes on these buildings were likely intentional," Hossain said.

She added that Iranian authorities may have failed to take reasonable measures to protect detainees.