Iran
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 869
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 2,156
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · The 1999 figures for capital sentences and executions...
- News items in the archive
- 9,218
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Iran is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 869 executions in the country, against 2,156 the year before. The archive holds 9,218 news items on Iran, from 1999 to today.
Iran is one of the countries where the association records the highest number of executions each year. The usual method is hanging, and capital punishment applies to a wide list of offences: murder, drug offences, offences against state security, sexual offences, and charges such as moharebeh, enmity against God, which allow very broad application.
Many executions are never announced. They emerge from local sources, from human rights organisations and from families. For Iran, more than anywhere else, the archive's count is a documented minimum.
Latest news
NOVEMBER 4, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Arman Marefati’s death sentence confirmed
A ‘protester’
NOVEMBER 3, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Amirhossein Maleki and Amirhossein Ebrahimi executed in Isfahan on November 3
2 ‘protesters’
NOVEMBER 2, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Three ‘protesters’ sentenced to death
Matin Farnian + 2
NOVEMBER 1, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 5 men executed in Shiraz in recent days
Ehsan Sobhani, Jafar Rostamzadeh Mashhadi, Hashem Memari, Gholamhossein Yari, Mohammad Mehdi Ashraf
NOVEMBER 1, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iman Ashraf executed in Shiraz on November 1
OCTOBER 30, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Death sentence against Leila Abolhasani overturned
A ‘protester’
OCTOBER 30, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Shahab Zohdi sentenced to death for the second time
- OCTOBER 29, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Omran Amani sentenced to death
A ‘protester’
- OCTOBER 29, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Omran Amani sentenced to death
A ‘protester’
OCTOBER 29, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mohammad Naderi’s death sentence confirmed
Charged with espionage
OCTOBER 28, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Reza Talebi executed in Sabzevar on October 28
OCTOBER 28, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - … Shokri executed in Ghezel-Hesar on October 28
OCTOBER 28, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Amrollah Seiri executed in Ghezel-Hesar on October 28
OCTOBER 28, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Amin Pardal sentenced to death
A Baloch political prisoner
- OCTOBER 28, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men executed
Habibollah Gholami, Yaser Shokri, and Mohammad Tajik
- OCTOBER 28, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 7 more men executed in recent days
Esmail Moradvand, Faramarz Seyfouri, Behnam Molani, Khalil Gholizadeh, Ardeshir Karimi, Farshad Qaderi and Amirali Einabadi
OCTOBER 27, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 5 men executed in Mashhad on October 27
OCTOBER 27, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Farhad Tavan executed in Ilam on October 27
OCTOBER 26, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Melika Azizi not sentenced to death
A ‘protester’
OCTOBER 26, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hassan Golshan-Nejad Sentenced to Death
A ‘protester’
- OCTOBER 26, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 ‘Protesters’ sentenced to death
Amirreza Rezaei, Vahid Ghahremani, Mehdi …
OCTOBER 25, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ali Mokhtari e Davood Rokhbin executed in Shahr-e Kord and Kashan
- OCTOBER 24, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Walid Hassani and Shahram Babanzadeh executed in Shiraz on October 18
OCTOBER 21, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Death sentence of Manouchehr Fallah forwarded for enforcement
A political prisoner
OCTOBER 21, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ahmad … + 1 executed in Ghezel Hesar on October 21
OCTOBER 21, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ilya Ben-Rashid sentenced to death
A ‘protester’
- OCTOBER 21, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Seyed Borjali Taghizadeh Amirsalari and Farshad Jamalabadi executed in Shiraz on October 21
- OCTOBER 21, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Atiyeh Jamei executed in Ahvaz on October 21
- OCTOBER 21, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Ahmad Baranizadeh executed in Ghezel-Hesar on October 21
- OCTOBER 21, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mojtaba Garaei executed in Semnan on October 21