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
- JUNE 15, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mohammad Shekaf hanged at Ahvaz’s central prison.
IRAN - Mohammad Shekaf hanged at Ahvaz’s central prison.
- JUNE 12, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Amir Tahmaseb, Samad Basideh and 1 other man hanged at Rajai-Shahr prison.
IRAN - Amir Tahmaseb, Samad Basideh and 1 other man hanged at Rajai-Shahr prison.
- JUNE 12, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - One prisoner (not identified) executed at Ardabil’s prison.
IRAN - One prisoner (not identified) executed at Ardabil’s prison.
- JUNE 10, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Unidentified prisoner hanged at Rajai-Shahr prison.
IRAN - Unidentified prisoner hanged at Rajai-Shahr prison.
- JUNE 9, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hashem Amiri hanged in the Prison of Gorgan
IRAN - Hashem Amiri hanged in the Prison of Gorgan
- JUNE 3, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Seyyed Samad Enayati was hanged at Zanjan prison on April 30, 2019
IRAN - Seyyed Samad Enayati was hanged at Zanjan prison on April 30, 2019
- MAY 26, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED IN PUBLIC
Death-row prisoner Mehdi Cheraghi was hanged in public in Hamedan on the morning of 23 May 2019.
MAY 20, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: COURT UPHOLDS IRANIAN'S DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING U.S. WOMAN
Iran's state-owned newspaper on 18 May 2019 said the country's Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence for an Iranian man accused of murdering an American woman during a robbery.
- MAY 19, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: POLITICAL PRISONER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SUPPORTING THE PMOI/MEK
Tehran’s Revolutionary Court on 19 May 2019 sentenced Abdullah Ghasempour, affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK) to death.
- MAY 19, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Abdullah Ghasempour, member of PMOI/MEK, sentenced to death on May 19
IRAN - Abdullah Ghasempour, member of PMOI/MEK, sentenced to death on May 19
MAY 15, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN HANGED AT MARAGHEH PRISON
According to a report of Kurdistan Center for Democracy and Human Rights, confirmed by IHR, a prisoner was hanged on 4 May 2019 at Iranian northwestern city of Maragheh’s prison for murder charges.
MAY 10, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER EXECUTED AT ARDABIL PRISON FOR MURDER
A prisoner was executed at Ardabil prison on 4 May 2019, HRANA reported.
MAY 9, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN HANGED AT TABRIZ PRISON FOR RAPE CHARGES
According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, on the morning of 30 April 2019 a man was hanged at Tabriz central prison for “rape charges.”
- MAY 9, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Documents Prove Judiciary Has Lied About the Executed Minors.
IRAN - Documents Prove Judiciary Has Lied About the Executed Minors.
MAY 8, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FOUR MEN SECRETLY HANGED ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES IN ARAK PRISON
Iran secretly hanged on 29 April 2019 four prisoners on drug related charges in Central Prison of Arak.
MAY 6, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN HANGED AT ZANJAN PRISON FOR MURDER
According to Iran Human Rights sources, Hedayat Mehrabi, 37, was hanged for murder charges on the morning of 16 April 2019 at Zanjan prison.
MAY 3, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: A PRISONER HANGED ON MURDER CHARGES AT SANANDAJ CENTRAL PRISON
A Kurdish prisoner, Ahmad Irani (known as Aha Chateh), was executed on murder charges at Sanandaj Central Prison on 28 April 2019.
MAY 2, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN HANGED FOR DRUG OFFENSES AT KERMAN PRISON
According to IHR sources, on the morning of 28 April 2019 a man was hanged at Kerman Central Prison on drug charges.
MAY 1, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN HANGED AT BABOL PRISON
According to Rokna, on the morning of 24 April 2019, a man was hanged at the Iranian northern city of Babol’s prison.
APRIL 30, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO 17-YEAR-OLD BOYS FLOGGED AND SECRETLY EXECUTED
The Iranian authorities flogged and secretly executed on 25 April 2019 two boys under the age of 18, Amnesty International has learned.
- APRIL 30, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Vahid Nedamat hanged on April 30 at Maragheh prison.
IRAN - Vahid Nedamat hanged on April 30 at Maragheh prison.
- APRIL 29, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED AT KERMANSHAH PRISON
According to Iran Human Rights sources, a man was hanged at Kermanshah Central Prison (known as Dizel Abad) on 18 April 2019.
- APRIL 27, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Norallah Zangane Vandi and Shayan Ebrahimi were hanged on April 27 at Dizel Abad Prison
IRAN - Norallah Zangane Vandi and Shayan Ebrahimi were hanged on April 27 at Dizel Abad Prison
- APRIL 27, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Kamal Shahbakhs hanged on April 27 at Shahab Prison, in Kerman.
IRAN - Kamal Shahbakhs hanged on April 27 at Shahab Prison, in Kerman.
- APRIL 27, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Two men, Habib and Kaveh, were executed at the Evin Prison in Tehran on April 27.
IRAN - Two men, Habib and Kaveh, were executed at the Evin Prison in Tehran on April 27.
- APRIL 27, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Dorhan Heydari and Mirhan Shah Ghasemi were hanged at the Evin Prison in Tehran on April 27.
IRAN - Dorhan Heydari and Mirhan Shah Ghasemi were hanged at the Evin Prison in Tehran on April 27.
- APRIL 25, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Two minors, Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat, were executed on 25 April in Adel Abad prison.
IRAN - Two minors, Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat, were executed on 25 April in Adel Abad prison.
- APRIL 24, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Two men (one identified as Alfagh) were hanged on April 24.
IRAN - Two men (one identified as Alfagh) were hanged on April 24.
- APRIL 22, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - A man, identified only as Reza, was hanged on April 22 at Vakilabad Prison.
IRAN - A man, identified only as Reza, was hanged on April 22 at Vakilabad Prison.
- APRIL 18, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Vali (Wali) Zandian was hanged at the Ardabil Prison on April 18.
IRAN - Vali (Wali) Zandian was hanged at the Ardabil Prison on April 18.