The UN human rights chief said that the death penalty was being weaponized by Iran’s government to strike fear into the population and stamp out dissent, saying the executions amounted to “state sanctioned killing”.

“The weaponization of criminal procedures to punish people for exercising their basic rights – such as those participating in or organizing demonstrations – amounts to state sanctioned killing,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said, adding that the executions violated international human rights law.

Iran hanged two men on Saturday for allegedly killing a member of the security forces during nationwide protests and more have since been sentenced to death. The UN Human Rights office has received information that two further executions are imminent, Reuters quoted the statement as saying.

Turk said in a statement that there were numerous violations of due process and fair trial in the cases including the application of vaguely worded criminal provisions, denial of access to a lawyer of choice, forced confession under torture and denial of a meaningful right of appeal.