Amnesty International has accused Iranian authorities of intensifying repression under the cover of what officials describe as “wartime conditions,” citing mass arbitrary arrests, politically motivated executions, internet shutdowns and accelerated judicial proceedings following recent regional escalation.

In a statement, the human rights organization said that since the military confrontation involving the United States, Israel and Iran began on February 28, 2026, Iranian authorities have arbitrarily detained more than 6,000 people, including protesters, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, dissidents, and members of ethnic and religious minorities.

According to Amnesty International, senior judicial officials ordered expedited prosecutions against detainees, including cases carrying the death penalty, amid allegations of enforced disappearances, torture, forced confessions and grossly unfair trials. The organization said Iranian authorities have also imposed decades-long prison sentences and carried out at least 39 political executions during the same period.

“Iranian authorities are exploiting the crisis to further erode the human rights of people in Iran who are already suffering from the devastating consequences of unlawful air strikes by US and Israeli forces, as well as decades of crimes under international law at the hands of the Islamic Republic,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research, Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns.

“To maintain their grip on power, the authorities have unleashed an all-out assault on people in Iran, targeting anyone who dares to criticize the Islamic Republic, share information about the US or Israeli air strikes or human rights violations with the outside world,” she added.

The organization also condemned what it described as the longest internet shutdown ever imposed in Iran, saying authorities isolated more than 90 million people from the global internet for 88 days while criminalizing online activity as “espionage,” an offense punishable by death.

Internet access began to be partially restored on May 26 following an order by President Masoud Pezeshkian, though Amnesty said restrictions, filtering and concerns over surveillance remain in place.

The rights group warned that the blackout enabled widespread abuses to occur “with impunity” and accused Iranian authorities of actively criminalizing efforts by citizens to bypass internet restrictions through VPN services and other tools.

By Vafa Guliyeva

Source: caliber.az