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 8, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: 5 PRISONERS HANGED FOR MURDER CHARGES
Mohammadreza Shokri, Yousef Zakeri, Hossein Panjeh-Maryam and 2 others were hanged for murder charges at Rajai-Shahr prison on 7 August 2019.
- AUGUST 7, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 5 executions. Mohammadreza Shokri (Mohammad-Reza Shekari), Yousef (Yousof) Zakeri, Hossein Panjeh-Maryam, Bahram Tork and Majid Arabali hanged at Rajai-Shahr on August 7.
IRAN - 5 executions. Mohammadreza Shokri (Mohammad-Reza Shekari), Yousef (Yousof) Zakeri, Hossein Panjeh-Maryam, Bahram Tork and Majid Arabali hanged at Rajai-Shahr on August 7.
- AUGUST 7, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Toranj Feizi hanged at Borujerd prison on August 7.
IRAN - Toranj Feizi hanged at Borujerd prison on August 7.
- AUGUST 7, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Behrooz Abdi hanged on August 7 in Ilam prison
IRAN - Behrooz Abdi hanged on August 7 in Ilam prison
AUGUST 7, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: UPDATES ON THE DJALALI CASE
In a telephone conversation with his family, the Iranian-Swedish scientist and disaster medicine expert, Dr. Ahmad Reza Jalali (Djalali) has revealed that he has been under pressure to admit new charges and participate in another "forced confession" in fr
- AUGUST 5, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Rasoul Ghadermolla was hanged at Qom Prison on August 5.
IRAN - Rasoul Ghadermolla was hanged at Qom Prison on August 5.
AUGUST 5, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRANIAN PRISONER SERVING LIFE SENTENCE ESCAPES TO CANADA
An Iranian-born Canadian resident has escaped from Iran after being imprisoned there for 11 years and returned to Canada.
AUGUST 5, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER EXECUTED FOR MURDER COMMITTED WHEN HE WAS UNDER THE AGE OF 18
Hamid Avesti was executed in the central prison of Kermanshah on 4 August 2019.
- AUGUST 4, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Abdullah Karmollah Chab and Ghassem Beit-Abdullah were hanged at Dezful Prison on August 4.
IRAN - Abdullah Karmollah Chab and Ghassem Beit-Abdullah were hanged at Dezful Prison on August 4.
- AUGUST 4, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hamid Avesti was executed in the prison of Kermanshah on Aug. 4. He was a minor.
IRAN - Hamid Avesti was executed in the prison of Kermanshah on Aug. 4. He was a minor.
- AUGUST 4, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Jafar (Kazem) Seyedhosseini was executed on August 4 in Maragheh prison.
IRAN - Jafar (Kazem) Seyedhosseini was executed on August 4 in Maragheh prison.
- AUGUST 3, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Updates on the Djalali case.
IRAN - Updates on the Djalali case.
- AUGUST 2, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 2 men, identified only as Younes and David, were hanged at Mashhad Prison on August 2.
IRAN - 2 men, identified only as Younes and David, were hanged at Mashhad Prison on August 2.
AUGUST 1, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: 9 SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER ECONOMIC CORRUPTION
Iran’s judiciary has shared information on hundreds of court verdicts for convicts of corruption and financial wrongdoing, saying a total of nine people have been sentenced to death and four others to life in jail.
- AUGUST 1, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Two prisoners (one identified as Kusha Motaghi) were executed on August 1, 2019 in Rasht Central Prison.
IRAN - Two prisoners (one identified as Kusha Motaghi) were executed on August 1, 2019 in Rasht Central Prison.
- JULY 31, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mohammad Ghodrati hanged at Rajai-Shahr prison on July 31, 2019.
IRAN - Mohammad Ghodrati hanged at Rajai-Shahr prison on July 31, 2019.
- JULY 31, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hamid Samaei hanged at Gorgan Prison on July 31.
IRAN - Hamid Samaei hanged at Gorgan Prison on July 31.
- JULY 31, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Civil activists Yasaman Aryani, Monireh Arabshahi and Mojan Keshavarz sentenced to long prison terms
IRAN - Civil activists Yasaman Aryani, Monireh Arabshahi and Mojan Keshavarz sentenced to long prison terms
- JULY 31, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: FORMER VP MOHAMMAD ALI NAJAFI GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING WIFE
Iran's state TV says a former mayor of Tehran who also served as one of the country's vice presidents was sentenced to death on 30 July 2019 for killing his wife.
- JULY 30, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Former Iran VP Mohammad Ali Najafi sentenced to death on July 30 for killing wife.
IRAN - Former Iran VP Mohammad Ali Najafi sentenced to death on July 30 for killing wife.
- JULY 30, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Samad Mahmoudzadeh executed in Tabriz Central Prison on July 30
IRAN - Samad Mahmoudzadeh executed in Tabriz Central Prison on July 30
JULY 29, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE PRISONERS EXECUTED FOR MURDER, DRUG TRAFFICKING
Three men were recently hanged in Iran for murder and drug trafficking.
- JULY 28, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Arash Shah-hosseini hanged at Adel Abad Prison “a week ago”.
IRAN - Arash Shah-hosseini hanged at Adel Abad Prison “a week ago”.
- JULY 28, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Touraj Ghassemi (Qasemi), maybe a juvenile, was hanged at Nur prison on July 28.
IRAN - Touraj Ghassemi (Qasemi), maybe a juvenile, was hanged at Nur prison on July 28.
JULY 26, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO WOMEN HANGED AT THE CENTRAL PRISON OF URMIA
Two women, Arasteh Ranjbar and Nazdar Vatankhah, were hanged at the Central Prison of Urmia on 23 July 2019.
- JULY 25, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Heshmat Imani hanged at Zanjan prison on July 25.
IRAN - Heshmat Imani hanged at Zanjan prison on July 25.
- JULY 24, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Peyman Hamdollahi Boroujerdi was hanged at Bandar-Abbas prison on July 24.
IRAN - Peyman Hamdollahi Boroujerdi was hanged at Bandar-Abbas prison on July 24.
- JULY 24, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Behnam Ranjbar executed at Tabriz Prison on July 24.
IRAN - Behnam Ranjbar executed at Tabriz Prison on July 24.
- JULY 23, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN SAYS IT ARRESTED CIA SPIES AND SENTENCED SOME TO DEATH
Iran says it has arrested 17 spies who it says were working for the CIA, and sentenced some of them to death.
- JULY 23, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 2 women, Arasteh Ranjbar and Nazdar Vatankhah, hanged at Urmia on July 23
IRAN - 2 women, Arasteh Ranjbar and Nazdar Vatankhah, hanged at Urmia on July 23