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
- 8,610
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 8,610 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
MARCH 14, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - New trial for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Charges of “propaganda against the system”
MARCH 14, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Nasser Valizadeh executed at Urmia Prison on March 14
For murder
MARCH 14, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Nafiseh Pakmehr, a woman, executed in the Prison of Taybad on March 14
116th woman hanged since Hassan Rouhani became president
MARCH 14, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hossein Akchin executed in Ardabil Prison on March 14
For murder
MARCH 14, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Alireza Ghorbani executed in Shiraz Central Prison on March 14
For murder
- MARCH 14, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Arash Waresi executed at Zanjan prison on March 14
For murder
MARCH 13, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Woman Hanged; Daughter Carried Out the Execution
Maryam Karimi executed in Rasht Prison on March 13
MARCH 11, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ss of March 10, 2021, the death toll from Coronavirus exceeded 229,600
According to PMOI / MEK
MARCH 9, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - UN Report: women second hand citizens
Javaid Rehman, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran
MARCH 8, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Asef Taghinejad executed in Tabriz Prison on March 8
For murder
- MARCH 7, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Unidentified man executed at Yasuj Prison on March 7
For murder
- MARCH 7, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Iran frees British-Iranian aid worker Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Her British passport has not been returned to her
MARCH 7, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Unk man executed at Rajaee Shahr Prison on March 7
For murder
- MARCH 6, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Ebrahim Hassani executed at Shahr-e-Kurd Prison on March 7
no other information
MARCH 3, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Farhad Abdullahnejad executed on March 3 in Isfahan
for murder
MARCH 2, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Fatah Hosseini executed in Noshahr Prison on March 2
for murder
- MARCH 1, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Ahmad Samiee executed at Rasht Prison on March 1
For murder
FEBRUARY 28, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Four Political Prisoners executed in Sepidar Prison on February 28
Naser Khafajian, Ali Khasraji, Hossein Silawi and Jasem Heidary
FEBRUARY 26, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ahmad A’araji executed on February 26 at Irak prison
For murder
- FEBRUARY 26, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hamed Mostafaei executed in Arak Prison on February 26
for drugs
FEBRUARY 24, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - “Ehsan” Acquitted of Alcohol Consumption
He wes facing death penalty,
- FEBRUARY 23, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Jafar Mansour-Beigi executed at Adelabad Prison on February 23
He was charged with murder
- FEBRUARY 23, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - B. Ahmad hanged on February 23
for murder
FEBRUARY 22, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Behnam Mahjoubi, sentenced to 2 years, died from lack of medical treatment
Mahjoubi was a Gonabadi sufi dervish
- FEBRUARY 21, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 73 year-old man facing death penalty for alcohol consumption
after being arrested for the fourth time
- FEBRUARY 20, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mansour Ghazaq hanged on February 20
for murder
FEBRUARY 19, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Zahra Esmaili was already dead when executed
according to her lawyer
- FEBRUARY 17, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 2 more men executed on February 17 at Rajai Shahr Prison
9 executions in one day at Rajai Shahr
- FEBRUARY 17, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 1 woman and 6 men executed in Rajai Shahr Prison on February 17
Only the woman identified: Zahra Esmaili
FEBRUARY 16, 2021IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ali Dadfari-Mazandarani executed on February 16 in Boroujerd Prison
For drug crimes