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UN human rights chief Volker Türk said he was alarmed by a sharp rise in executions in Iran since March, reporting that 56 people have been put to death on national security-related charges, including 27 in cases linked to protests in January. The figures point to an intensified use of capital punishment against demonstrators and political detainees, a pattern rights monitors say is designed to deter further unrest after the January protest wave. Separately, two Iranian footballers who publicly defied the authorities in Tehran have been granted Australian citizenship after receiving humanitarian visas while playing in Australia. They were among seven players offered such visas; the other five ultimately changed their minds and returned to Iran, illustrating the difficult calculations facing Iranians who speak out abroad while family members remain at home. Together, the developments highlight the continuing fallout from Iran's crackdown on dissent.