UN Experts Raise Alarm Over Treatment of Minorities in Iran

At least 24 members of the Baluch minority and 22 members of the Kurdish minority have been executed during 2026, according to figures cited by the UN experts, who warned that others could face execution in the near future.

UN human rights experts have called on Iranian authorities to end what they describe as escalating arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, ill-treatment and executions affecting ethnic minorities, with Kurdish and Baluch communities identified as being at particular risk.

The experts said thousands of people have reportedly been detained since protests began in December 2025, with some allegedly subjected to torture or other forms of ill-treatment to obtain confessions. They also raised concerns about enforced disappearances and politically motivated sentences involving people charged under broadly defined national security offences.

Executions of Kurdish and Baluch People Raise Concern

At least 24 members of the Baluch minority and 22 members of the Kurdish minority have been executed during 2026, according to figures cited by the UN experts, who warned that others could face execution in the near future.

Particular concern was raised over Kurdish individuals Yousef Ahmadi, Raouf Sheikh Maroufi, Mohammad Faraji and Mohsen Eslamkhah, along with Baluch individual Farhad Baranzehi. The experts said they face an imminent risk of execution following proceedings allegedly involving torture and forced confessions.

The statement also referenced earlier death sentences imposed on Pakhshan Azizi and Varisheh Moradi as part of what the experts described as a wider pattern affecting Kurdish and Baluch communities.

National Security Laws Face Scrutiny

UN experts expressed concern about Iran's 2025 law expanding the definition of espionage and the application of other national security offences, including charges translated as "enmity against God," "spreading corruption on earth" and "armed rebellion against the foundations of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

According to the experts, such provisions have been used against members of ethnic minorities, particularly Kurds, in cases involving dissent. They said communities whose ethnic and religious identities overlap, including Sunni Kurds and Yarsans, can face heightened risks during periods of political and social unrest.

Concerns Extend to Other Minority Communities

Reports of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance have also involved members of other ethnic minorities, including the Azeri community and minors, the experts said.

Their concerns extend beyond Iran's borders, with allegations that Kurdish and Baluch individuals living abroad have faced surveillance and threats. Iranian authorities have reportedly seized assets belonging to hundreds of people overseas and published a list of 37 Kurdish leaders and activists abroad alongside in absentia sentences and extradition requests.

Experts Urge Iran to Meet Human Rights Obligations

The experts called on Iran to respect its obligations under international human rights law, including protections against torture, enforced disappearance and arbitrary deprivation of life, as well as rights to liberty, due process, fair trials and equal treatment without discrimination.

The UN experts said they remain in contact with Iranian authorities regarding the cases and broader concerns raised in their statement.