In a chilling reminder of Iran’s hardline judicial practices, authorities at Urmia Prison in northwest Iran amputated the hands of three men in the early hours of Thursday morning, marking one of the rare and brutal enforcements of the country’s Sharia-based penal code.

The punishment, condemned globally as inhumane and barbaric, involved the severing of four fingers from each man’s right hand—leaving only the thumb. The sentence was reportedly carried out at around 1 a.m. local time, away from public scrutiny but not from growing international outrage.

The three men, who were arrested between 2017 and 2019, were labeled “professional thieves” by Iran’s judiciary and had accumulated over 40 separate complaints from private plaintiffs across four provinces. Officials claimed the men repeatedly refused to return stolen items—mainly gold jewelry—despite being offered leniency if they did so.

But human rights organizations say the truth is far more disturbing. According to Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), the men were convicted after grossly unfair trials, with evidence primarily based on “confessions” extracted under torture.

“These amputations are a chilling reminder of the Iranian authorities’ readiness to inflict irreversible suffering,” said Sarah Hashas, Amnesty’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “Iran’s judicial system is a vital cog in the machinery of torture.”

Documents obtained by IHRNGO further suggest that the amputations were carried out despite testimony from the victims describing beatings, threats, and coerced confessions. Since their sentencing, the three men have undertaken multiple hunger strikes to protest the abuse they faced in prison and the cruelty of their punishment.

IHRNGO director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam did not mince words. “The international community must not tolerate the implementation of medieval and degrading sentences like finger amputations in the 21st century,” he said.

The mutilations were upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court, and prosecutors justified the decision as legally compliant under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, which was implemented after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The code allows amputations for repeat theft under strict criteria, including the presence of multiple victims, prior convictions, and—critically—no restitution of the stolen items.

Iran’s judiciary argued that the men’s refusal to return stolen property disqualified them from legal leniency or “repentance-based” mitigation of sentence.

But critics say the core issue is not about property—it’s about punishment as spectacle and intimidation.

Human rights experts argue that amputations are both cruel and ineffective. Not only do they violate international law—including the Convention Against Torture, which Iran is a signatory to—but they also do nothing to address the root causes of theft, like poverty, addiction, or unemployment.

According to the US-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, Iran has amputated the fingers of at least 131 men since January 2000. That number is likely an undercount, as many cases go unreported due to media suppression and fear of reprisal.

This latest case comes just one month after authorities amputated the hands of two other men for theft—part of what rights groups are calling a dangerous resurgence in corporal punishments following years of relative dormancy.

While the Islamic Republic has never fully outlawed such sentences, amputations had become increasingly rare in recent years. But amid political instability and widespread protests, some experts say the regime is once again resorting to visibly harsh penalties to reassert control.

“In the face of growing unrest and international scrutiny, Iran is doubling down on brutality instead of justice,” said one Tehran-based human rights lawyer who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal. “This isn’t law enforcement—it’s terror by decree.”

Though Iran often justifies such punishments as part of Islamic law, there is little religious consensus around their use. Many Islamic scholars argue that corporal punishment should be avoided in modern societies due to its irreversible nature and potential for judicial error.

Yet for now, Iran appears determined to hold the line.

As images of amputated hands reenter the human rights spotlight, activists say silence is complicity. The time for quiet diplomacy is over.

“Every mutilated hand is a failure of global accountability,” Amiry-Moghaddam warned. “The world cannot look away.”