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
- 9,162
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 9,162 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
MAY 18, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 4 men executed in Khorramabad on May 18
Ali Khoramshah Amrayi, Najaf Soleiman Reshad, Firouz Yarinejad + Unk
MAY 18, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Nader Rigi executed in Jiroft on May 18
MAY 18, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - An man Afghan executed in Gohardasht on 18 May
Identified as Saeed, or Masoud
MAY 17, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Borzu Chaqazardi and Saeed Najafi executed in Kermanshah on May 17
MAY 16, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Sha’aban Yousefi executed in Gorgan on May 16
- MAY 15, 2023IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 2 unidentified men executed in Qezel Hesar on May 10
MAY 15, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 5 men executed in Bandarabbas and Minab prisons on May 15
Abdolrahman Mousazehi, Jalal Rigi + 3 unk.
MAY 15, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 1 man executed in Fereydun Kenar on May 15
Identified only as M. A.
MAY 15, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mohammad Padayar and Peyman Akbari Birgani executed in Khorramabad on May 15
MAY 14, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Saeed Arjumandi and Kayumars Menbari executed in Sanandaj on May 14
MAY 13, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 6 men executed in Kerman on May 13
Amrollah Adish, Kambiz Davarpanah and four unidentified men
MAY 13, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iran is entitled to chair an event of the United Nation's Human Rights Council
The Iranian government tries to demean the opposition
- MAY 12, 2023IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hossein Rigi executed in Mashhad on May 12
MAY 12, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 2 foreign citizens released from Iranian prisons
Benjamin Briere and Bernard Phelan
- MAY 11, 2023IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hossein Shabanzadeh executed in Rasht on May 11
MAY 11, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Appointment of Iran to chair the UN Human Rights Council’s 2023 Social Forum
MAY 11, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIran - Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentences of Three Protesters
Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaghoubi
MAY 10, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed in Karaj on May 10
Hossein Panjak, Abdolhossein Emami Moghaddam and Babak Aghayi
MAY 10, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Between 29 April and 8 May, 118 people were executed in Iran
239 persone dall'inizio dell'anno
MAY 10, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 2 unidentified men executed in Arak Prison on May 10
MAY 10, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mohammad Saber Payamian executed in Kermanshah on May 10
MAY 10, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Saber Payamian executed in Kermanshah on May 10
At least 52 Kurdish executed in Iran's prisons since the beginning of this year
- MAY 10, 2023IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN Four unidentified men executed in Gohardasht on May 10
MAY 9, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Najmedin Eshaghzehi executed in Semnan on May 9
MAY 8, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed on May 8: Mohammad Ahmadi, Yaser Rakhshani and Yunus Rigi Rakhshani
25 Baloch prisoners executed in the last 11 days
MAY 8, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Unidentified man executed in Dezful on May 8
MAY 8, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hossein Shahrouzi executed in Shiraz on May 8
MAY 8, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare executed for blasphemy
MAY 8, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Unidentified man executed in Shiraz on May 8
MAY 8, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Bahman Zayerfar executed in Ahar on May 8