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
- 9,218
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 9,218 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
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Khaled Mollaei and Mohammad Mohammadlou killed during the protests
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 8 men executed on January 8
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - At least five Kurdish men shot dead by Iranian forces in Kermanshah protests
Keyvan Rezaei, Yasin Mirzaei, Behrouz Safaei, Saman Nazari, Sayyad Faramarzi
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Report on 12th day of protests
At Least 45 protesters killed, including 8 Children
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ebrahim Yousefi killed by direct gunfire
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iranian forces killed Robina Aminian during protests
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hrana Report on the 12th Day of Protests
The death toll has reached 42 people, including 5 minors and 8 security personnel
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Aida Heidari and Zahra Behloulipour killed during protests
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ako Mohammadi killed during the protests
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mojtaba Ghorbani and Bahram Zahedi killed during the protests
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - IHR report on 8th day of protests
45 killed
JANUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Navid Salehi and Bayat Sobhani killed during protests
JANUARY 7, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 4 men executed in Qazvin on January 7
Hessam Moloudnejad, Alireza Yadegar + 2
- JANUARY 7, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Sharif Hadavi executed in Mahshahr on January 7
- JANUARY 7, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 9 men 1 woman executed on January 7
2nd woman of 2026
JANUARY 7, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iranian forces shoot dead Reza Rahmati in Malard
JANUARY 7, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Report on the 11th Day of Protests
38 died, 2200 arrested
- JANUARY 7, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Karim Bozorgkar and Mohammad Jolaei executed in Dezful on January 7
- JANUARY 7, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Kaveh Panahi and Ali Neirang executed in Yazd on January 7
JANUARY 7, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ali Ardastani executed on January 7
On charges of spying for Israel
JANUARY 7, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed in Ghezel-Hesar on January 7
Yazdan Allahyari, Hamed Niazi, Omid Nobakht
- JANUARY 6, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 7 men executed in various prisons on January 6
- JANUARY 6, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Abdollah Dashti executed in Behbahan on January 6
- JANUARY 6, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mohsen Teymouri executed in Rasht on January 6
- JANUARY 6, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men executed in Ahvaz on January 6
Moslem Haji Babayi, Mohammad Yarahzadeh, Abdolnour Shabani
- JANUARY 6, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Majid Madadi executed in Ferdows on January 6
- JANUARY 6, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Rouhollah Aghapour executed in Mahabad on January 6
JANUARY 6, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Protests: Hengaw confirms at least 27 deaths in ten days
More than 1,500 arrests
JANUARY 6, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hrana: 2,063 people executed in Iran in 2025
JANUARY 6, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Amir Hamzeh Palangi executed in Kerman on January 6