In an interview published on May 20 by judiciary-linked Mizan News Agency, Majid Doustali, a member of the regime’s parliament, defended harsh punishment against alleged spies and praised the judiciary’s current approach as executions and security-related prosecutions continue to rise in Iran.
Doustali told Mizan:
“The judiciary today is acting correctly and according to the law, and our demand is that this path continue seriously because this is a public and popular demand.”
The remarks come as Iranian authorities continue expanding security-related prosecutions following months of unrest and conflict.
On April 28, 2026, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Eje’i called on courts to accelerate rulings and implementation of punishments in security-related cases, arguing that delays weaken the deterrent effect of sentences. Earlier, during the post-uprising crackdown, Eje’i had instructed judges to show “no mercy” in protest-related cases, according to international reporting.
Meanwhile, state-run Mehr News Agency’s article, published on May 15 2026, stated that authorities had carried out around 30 executions on charges linked to espionage, terrorism, or armed unrest, alongside dozens of lengthy prison sentences and confiscation of hundreds of properties.
On May 18, 2026, Police Commander Ahmad-Reza Radan said in an interview with state television that more than 6,500 people had been arrested since the start of the conflict period, including 567 cases linked to opposition groups. Earlier, on March 10, Radan said protesters would be treated as “enemies,” and on April 20 reported that 1,200 people had been arrested in a single wave, saying security forces would continue dealing with protesters as hostile actors.
Iran's Police Chief admits to 6,500 arrests
— Pasha Borjkhani (@BorjkhaniP1847) May 18, 2026
In this Video Iran Police Chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan confirms:
• 6,500 citizens detained in recent weeks.
• 567 linked to the MEK and other opposition groups.
• Vows to hunt every January protester: “We won’t let them go.” https://t.co/pkB41BvjoR pic.twitter.com/99DmAS1Jsw
Recent months have also seen executions of political prisoners and dissidents, including eight PMOI members executed between March 30 and April 20, 2026, after convictions on security-related charges.
The latest remarks by lawmakers publicly supporting harsher punishment come amid a chronology of accelerated sentencing, mass arrests, and rising executions tied to security and protest-related cases in Iran.