Iran Human Rights Violations Update: 7/21/26

Since the 2026 Iran War began on February 28, the Islamic Republic of Iran has heavily sup-pressed its population to prevent a civilian uprising and to ensure the regime’s stability. That pattern has only continued since the signing of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 14, 2026.

This edition of the Iran Human Rights Violations Update highlights 40 key instances of the regime’s abuses towards its people between June 14 and July 21, including 11 death sentences handed down to citizens connected to the January protests. The regime also executed six demonstrators, including five who protested the government in January, adding to the 18 protest-related executions Iranian authorities carried out between March 19 and June 3. Additionally, according to initial Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reporting, Iranian authorities detained 779 people for exercising their freedom of expression and belief in June alone, a 380 percent increase from 162 arrests in May.

Iranian security forces have also expanded their targeting of religious and ethnic minorities, primarily detaining Baloch and Kurdish citizens, as well as followers of the Baha’i faith, perhaps due to fear of unrest among minority populations following reports of their possible cooperation with the United States and Israel. According to HRANA, 34 citizens belonging to religious and ethnic minorities were arrested by security forces in June compared to just 17 in May. Women have also come under renewed pressure with enforcement of mandatory hijab and detention of women’s rights activists.