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
MAY 9, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PRISONERS HANGED ON MURDER CHARGES IN BANDAR ABBAS & TABRIZ CENTRAL PRISONS
Two prisoners were reportedly hanged at Bandar Abbas Central & Tabriz Prisons on murder charges.
MAY 8, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PRISONERS HANGED ON MURDER CHARGES
Two prisoners were reportedly hanged on murder charges in the morning at Mashhad Central Prison.
MAY 5, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: YOUNG MAN WALKS FREE FROM DEATH ROW
Salar Shadizadi, who was sentenced to death for a crime he committed when a child, was released after 10 years from Rasht prison in northern Iran.
MAY 1, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: AT LEAST 90 PEOPLE ON DEATH ROW AGED UNDER 18, SAY UN EXPERTS
At least 90 people on death row in Iran are under the age of 18, says a group of UN experts who are calling for authorities in the Middle Eastern nation to immediately put an end to the execution of those aged who were under 18 at the time of sentencing.
- APRIL 30, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: PRISONER HANGED ON MURDER CHARGES
A prisoner was reportedly executed at Hamadan Central Prison on murder charges, and another prisoner was returned to his cell after his execution was temporarily halted.
- APRIL 24, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN TRIES TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY FOR TRAFFICKING AS IT WRESTLES WITH RISING DRUG CHARGES
Iranian parliament’s Judicial Commission spokesperson has announced that this commission has agreed with a proposal to reduce death penalty to 30 years in prison for a number of drug-related offences.
- APRIL 20, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: PRISONER HANGED ON DRUG CHARGES
A prisoner was hanged at Khorramabad's Parsilon Prison on drug related charges, according to the human rights news agency HRANA.
APRIL 19, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: SEVEN PRISONERS EXECUTED AT RAJAI SHAHR PRISON
- APRIL 18, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE PRISONERS HANGED IN SHIRAZ AND TABRIZ
Three inmates were executed in the prisons of Shiraz and Tabriz.
APRIL 13, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN WHO KILLED SIX IN SHOOTING SPREE PUBLICLY HANGED IN ARAK
A man convicted of murdering six people in a shooting spree was publicly executed in Iran, according to the Tasnim news agency.
- APRIL 12, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: PRISONER WITH MENTAL ILLNESS EXECUTED ON MURDER CHARGES
A prisoner who reportedly suffered from a mental illness was hanged at Tabriz Central Prison on murder charges.
APRIL 9, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: HUNDREDS RALLY IN TEHRAN IN PROTEST AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
Hundreds of families of prisoners on death row, especially women, rallied on the morning in front of parliament, demanding the abolition of the death penalty.
APRIL 5, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: INMATE EXECUTED AFTER SUFFERING HEART ATTACK
- MARCH 24, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: YOUNG MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR INSULTING THE PROPHET
Iran’s supreme court upheld a death sentence for a young man in Arak, central Iran, after he was found guilty of “insulting the Prophet Muhammad” on the Internet.
MARCH 20, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PRISONERS HANGED ON DRUG CHARGES
The death sentences of two prisoners were reportedly carried out at Adel Abad Prison (Lorestan province, western Iran).
MARCH 16, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: UNIDENTIFIED PRISONER HANGED ON DRUG CHARGES
An unidentified prisoner was reportedly hanged at Semnan Prison (northern Iran) on drug related charges.
- MARCH 15, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: WRITER AND TRANSLATOR DAVARI SENTENCED TO DEATH
Marjan Davari, a 50-year-old researcher and translator, has been convicted of ‘spreading corruption on earth’ and sentenced to death by Branch 15 of Tehran Revolutionary Court.
MARCH 14, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FOUR PRISONERS EXECUTED ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES
Four prisoners were hanged at Darya, Urmia's central prison (West Azerbaijan province, northwestern Iran), on drug related charges, according to the human rights news agency, HRANA.
- MARCH 12, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN CONDITIONS DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG OFFENSES
Capital punishment will be removed for all drug-related offenses with the exception of 3 cases, vice-chairman of Parliament’s Judiciary Committee told MNA.
MARCH 12, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: 2 SECT LEADERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Iran has sentenced to death a man and a woman who it says had created a new sect, Tasnim news agency reported.
MARCH 12, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE PRISONERS HANGED IN ZAHEDAN
According to the Baloch Activists Campaign, three prisoners were hanged at Zahedan Central Prison in Iran's Sistan & Baluchestan province on drug related charges.
- MARCH 11, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO KURDISH CITIZENS EXECUTED IN URMIEH PRISON
According to Kurdpa News agency two Kurdish citizens were executed last week in the back yard of Urmieh central prison.
MARCH 9, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER HANGED IN PUBLIC
An unidentified prisoner was reportedly executed in public on murder charges.
MARCH 8, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: CELEBRITIES, CHARITY SOCIETY SAVE YOUNG MAN FROM HANGING
A group of Iranian celebrities in association with a charity society finally managed to commute the death sentence of a young man who had committed murder when he was a teenager, Khabaronline reported.
- MARCH 4, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: SEVEN HANGED IN ONE DAY
At least seven prisoners were executed in Iran on murder, drug related charges.
- MARCH 3, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: ANNUAL REPORT ON THE DEATH PENALTY 2016
The 9th annual report of the organization Iran Human Rights (IHR) on the death penalty in Iran shows that in 2016 at least 530 people were executed in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
FEBRUARY 28, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PRISONERS HANGED IN URMIA
Two inmates were hanged in Urmia Central Prison, southwest of Iran. Identified as Ali Valizadeh and Afshin Shokati, they both were found guilty of murder.
- FEBRUARY 25, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: PRISONER HANGED IN BANDAR ABBAS
An inmate was sent to the gallows in Bandar Abbas Central Prison, southern Iran.
FEBRUARY 20, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER EXECUTED AT SHIRAZ PRISON
According to the Baloch Activists Campaign, a prisoner was hanged on the morning at Shiraz Prison (Fars province, southern Iran).
- FEBRUARY 18, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO PRISONERS EXECUTED AT DIZSEL ABAD PRISON
According to close sources, two prisoners were hanged on drug related charges at Dizsel Abad Prison. The