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
- 9,164
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 9,164 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
- AUGUST 22, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - A prisoner, identified only as “Parviz”, was reportedly hanged on August 22
IRAN - A prisoner, identified only as “Parviz”, was reportedly hanged on August 22
AUGUST 22, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Open Letter of Iranian Attorneys on the Sotoudeh Case.
IRAN - Open Letter of Iranian Attorneys on the Sotoudeh Case.
- AUGUST 20, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hossein Moloudi executed in Borujerd Central Prison on August 20.
IRAN - Hossein Moloudi executed in Borujerd Central Prison on August 20.
- AUGUST 20, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - A prisoner, not identified, has been executed at Khalkhal Prison on August 20.
IRAN - A prisoner, not identified, has been executed at Khalkhal Prison on August 20.
AUGUST 20, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Nasrin Sotoudeh in critical condition is taken to Evin Prison clinic.
IRAN - Nasrin Sotoudeh in critical condition is taken to Evin Prison clinic.
- AUGUST 19, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - A prisoner, identified as Gholamreza Q., was reportedly hanged on August 19
IRAN - A prisoner, identified as Gholamreza Q., was reportedly hanged on August 19
- AUGUST 19, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Rahim Pirouzi executed in Dehdasht prison on August 19.
IRAN - Rahim Pirouzi executed in Dehdasht prison on August 19.
- AUGUST 18, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men, possibly 4, executed on August 18 in Mashhad prison.
IRAN - 3 men, possibly 4, executed on August 18 in Mashhad prison.
AUGUST 18, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - A woman, Fereshteh Heydari Ebrahimpour, executed on August 18 in Mashhad prison.
IRAN - A woman, Fereshteh Heydari Ebrahimpour, executed on August 18 in Mashhad prison.
- AUGUST 18, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Ahmad Mehravar executed on August 18 in Zanjan Prison.
IRAN - Ahmad Mehravar executed on August 18 in Zanjan Prison.
AUGUST 18, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Nasrin Sotoudeh’s Daughter Detained, Persecution of Imprisoned Lawyer’s Family Intensifies.
IRAN - Nasrin Sotoudeh’s Daughter Detained, Persecution of Imprisoned Lawyer’s Family Intensifies.
- AUGUST 17, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - “Ahad” executed on August 17 in Yasuj Central Prison.
IRAN - “Ahad” executed on August 17 in Yasuj Central Prison.
- AUGUST 17, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Arsalan Yasini, possibly a minor at the time of the crime, executed in Urmia on August 17.
IRAN - Arsalan Yasini, possibly a minor at the time of the crime, executed in Urmia on August 17.
- AUGUST 16, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Saeed Ramezani hanged on August 16 in Yasuj prison.
IRAN - Saeed Ramezani hanged on August 16 in Yasuj prison.
- AUGUST 15, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - A man, identified only as “Hadi” was hanged on Aug. 15 in Mashhad Central Prison.
IRAN - A man, identified only as “Hadi” was hanged on Aug. 15 in Mashhad Central Prison.
AUGUST 12, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mojtaba Tutunchi executed in Yazd Central Prison on August 12.
IRAN - Mojtaba Tutunchi executed in Yazd Central Prison on August 12.
- AUGUST 11, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Fayegh Ahmadi was executed at Sanandaj Central Prison on August 11
IRAN - Fayegh Ahmadi was executed at Sanandaj Central Prison on August 11
- AUGUST 10, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Keyvan Rezagholi executed in Sanandaj Central Prison on August 10
IRAN - Keyvan Rezagholi executed in Sanandaj Central Prison on August 10
- AUGUST 7, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Jaffar Tayebi has been executed in Qom Central Prison on August 7.
IRAN - Jaffar Tayebi has been executed in Qom Central Prison on August 7.
AUGUST 6, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mehrzad Jalalvand has been executed at Rasht Central Prison on August 6.
IRAN - Mehrzad Jalalvand has been executed at Rasht Central Prison on August 6.
AUGUST 6, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Two brothers, Gholamreza and Ali Tahouneh, were executed in Tabriz Central Prison on Aug. 6.
IRAN - Two brothers, Gholamreza and Ali Tahouneh, were executed in Tabriz Central Prison on Aug. 6.
AUGUST 6, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: HANDS OFF CAIN, THE HANGING OF THE PROTESTER MOSTAFA SALEHI IS A SHAME FOR THE SO-CALLED DEMOCRATIC WORLD
Hands Off Cain considers the execution by hanging of Mostafa Salehi, one of the detainees for the anti-regime demonstrations that took place between December 2017 and January 2018, which took place yesterday in the Dastgerd prison in Isfahan, extremely se
AUGUST 6, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: WOMAN EXECUTED AFTER SIX YEARS ON DEATH ROW
A young woman was executed on 2 August 2020 in the Central Prison of Mashhad.
AUGUST 5, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Political prisoner Mostafa Salehi was hanged on August 5 in Isfahan prison.
IRAN - Political prisoner Mostafa Salehi was hanged on August 5 in Isfahan prison.
AUGUST 5, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - On August 5, the Supreme Court upheld a death sentence against political prisoner Heydar Ghorbani
IRAN - On August 5, the Supreme Court upheld a death sentence against political prisoner Heydar Ghorbani
- AUGUST 5, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Ali Farajnia was executed in Qom Central Prison on August 5
IRAN - Ali Farajnia was executed in Qom Central Prison on August 5
- AUGUST 5, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: POLITICAL PRISONER MOSTAFA SALEHI HANGED IN ISFAHAN PRISON
Political prisoner Mostafa Salehi was hanged at dawn on 5 August 2020 in a prison in Isfahan.
- AUGUST 4, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Abolfazl Bigzadeh and Rouhollah Sabzi were executed in Qom Central Prison on August 4
IRAN - Abolfazl Bigzadeh and Rouhollah Sabzi were executed in Qom Central Prison on August 4
AUGUST 4, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - the case of Jamshid Sharmahd. The kidnapping of Iranian dissidents is becoming a regular occurrence.
IRAN - the case of Jamshid Sharmahd. The kidnapping of Iranian dissidents is becoming a regular occurrence.
AUGUST 4, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER EXECUTED IN SANANDAJ PRISON FOR MURDER
Prisones Morteza Pirkhezri was executed in Sanandaj Central Prison on 31 July 2020.