State Repression

Iran Executes Record Number in 2025 Amidst Human Rights Concerns

In 2025, Iran saw a dramatic surge in executions, with at least 1,639 individuals put to death, the highest figure since 1989. This alarming increase of 68 percent, which included 48 women, has raised fears that capital punishment could be used even more extensively as a tool of repression, particularly following recent protests and ongoing conflicts. The report highlights that this rate averages over four executions daily and disproportionately affects ethnic minorities and those in abusive situations. Authorities are reportedly employing these executions to instill fear and maintain control, while hundreds of detained protesters remain at risk of facing similar fates.

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Trump’s Fascism: From Creeping to Catastrophe

Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University doctoral student, was abducted by unidentified individuals and imprisoned by ICE in Louisiana for allegedly supporting Hamas. Her “crime” was co-authoring an op-ed advocating for Tufts University to divest from companies linked to Israel, an action that brought her to the attention of Canary Mission, an organization that blacklists critics of Israeli policies. This incident, along with similar cases targeting Palestinian rights activists, highlights a pattern of state-sponsored repression and the criminalization of dissent under the Trump administration. The use of extrajudicial tactics, reminiscent of historical authoritarian regimes, underscores a broader assault on free speech and democratic norms.

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