Sun Jun 22 05:50:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article based on it:
**Summary:**
Amnesty International is raising serious concerns about a potential surge in arbitrary executions in Iran following official statements regarding the arrest of dozens of people accused of “espionage” or “collaboration” with Israel. Iranian authorities have publicly called for swift trials and executions for those accused. One execution has already taken place. Amnesty International urges Iran to halt all plans for arbitrary executions, emphasizing the right to fair trials and protection from torture for all detainees. They highlight the judiciary’s directive for “extraordinarily swift” handling of these cases and the National Security Council’s announcement of severe punishment, including execution, for actions supporting Israel. Amnesty International fears at least eight more individuals, including a Swedish-Iranian researcher, are at imminent risk of execution after unfair trials based on coerced confessions.
**News Article:**
**Amnesty International Warns of Execution Surge in Iran Amid “Espionage” Crackdown**
London – Amnesty International has issued a stark warning about a potential surge in arbitrary executions in Iran, following the arrest of dozens of individuals accused of “espionage” or “collaboration” with Israel. The human rights organization cited official Iranian statements calling for swift trials and executions for those arrested, coupled with the recent execution of one individual, as raising grave concerns.
“The official calls for expedited trials and executions of individuals accused of collaborating with Israel demonstrate how the Iranian authorities are using the death penalty as a tool of control and to instill fear among the population,” said Hussein Baoumi, Amnesty International’s Regional Researcher on the Middle East and North Africa.
Amnesty International’s report, released Saturday, highlights a directive from Iran’s judiciary chief urging prosecutors to punish “disruptors of public order and security” or “collaborators with Israel” with “extraordinary speed.” The National Security Council has also declared that actions supporting Israel will face “decisive responses and severe punishment,” including execution under the charges of “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth.”
The organization is particularly concerned about the fairness of the trials, noting the risk of coerced confessions and the denial of due process. They fear that at least eight other individuals are at imminent risk of execution after being sentenced to death following unfair trials. Among those at risk is Swedish-Iranian researcher Ahmadreza Djalali, imprisoned since 2016 and convicted of “corruption on earth” in 2017 in a trial Amnesty says was based on confessions extracted under torture and threats. Afshin Ghorbani Mishani, Azad Shojaei, Edris Aali, Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul, Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh, Roozbeh Vedi, and Shahin Basami are also at risk.
“The death penalty is an abhorrent, inhuman and degrading punishment and should never be used. Its use for crimes such as espionage that do not involve intentional killing is particularly prohibited under international law,” Baoumi stated. “The swift execution of individuals after forced confessions and unfair trials is a horrific abuse of power and a flagrant assault on the right to life.”
Amnesty International is urging the Iranian government to immediately halt all plans for arbitrary executions and ensure that all detainees are protected from enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill-treatment, and that they have access to fair trials, even during armed conflicts. They emphasize that use of the death penalty in these circumstances would violate international law.
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