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
- 8,611
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 8,611 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
DECEMBER 10, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TEN MEN FACE EXECUTION FOR SODOMY
ten young Iranian men, including eight teenagers, are currently awaiting execution for sodomy, Hossein
- DECEMBER 9, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
Fars news agency reported that Iran publicly hanged an unidentified man for murder. He was executed in
Fars news agency reported that Iran publicly hanged an unidentified man for murder. He was executed in
- DECEMBER 9, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
an unidentified man convicted of armed robbery was hanged in a square in the city of Ahvaz in Iran’s
an unidentified man convicted of armed robbery was hanged in a square in the city of Ahvaz in Iran’s
- DECEMBER 8, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN MUST STOP IMMINENT EXECUTION OF JUVENILE OFFENDER
the Iranian authorities must halt the planned execution of a juvenile offender, Amnesty International urged
- DECEMBER 1, 2009FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE: TEHRAN- STOP GAY EXECUTIONS
France launched a strong appeal to Iran to immediately stop the imminent execution of Iranians sentenced to
NOVEMBER 30, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: YOUNG MAN ON VERGE OF EXECUTION
the death sentence of Mohammad Reza Hadadi, 21, was endorsed by the Iranian Supreme Court and
NOVEMBER 28, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: DEATH SENTENCE FOR POLITICAL PRISONER
Ayoub Porkar, 46, was sentenced to death for supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. His
- NOVEMBER 26, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
TURKEY CONSIDERS FATE OF DETAINED IRAN RAELIAN LEADER
The Turkish authorities say they are discussing what to do with an Iranian atheist who says she fled
NOVEMBER 26, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: AFGHAN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
One man has been hanged in Amol in northern Iran, official Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
NOVEMBER 25, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: CONVICTED RAPIST HANGED
An Iranian man convicted of rape was hanged in a prison in the city of Karaj on the western outskirts of Tehran, the ISNA news agency reported.
NOVEMBER 22, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: PRESIDENT TALABANI IN IRAN SEEKING KURD EXECUTION HALT
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani flew to Tehran to appeal for the lives of Iranian Kurds sentenced to death, a
NOVEMBER 19, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE HANGED FOR RAPING TEENAGE BOY
three Iranian men were hanged for raping a 17-year-old boy who subsequently committed suicide, the Fars
- NOVEMBER 18, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR RAPE
ISNA news agency said an unidentified 23-year-old man convicted of robbery and rape was hanged in Bojnourd city in Iran’s north eastern North Khorasan province. It did not give the date of execution.
- NOVEMBER 17, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: ONE WOMAN AND TWO MEN HANGED
Three people, among them one woman, were hanged in the prison of Isfahan (Central Iran) early this
- NOVEMBER 17, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
KURDISH MPS URGE IRAN TO RECONSIDER DEATH PENALTY
Iran's Kurdish lawmakers asked the country's judiciary to reconsider issuing death sentences on people from the Kurdish minority fearing it was distancing the ethnic group from the regime.
- NOVEMBER 15, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED IN PUBLIC
One man was hanged in a public square in the northern Iranian city of Qaemshahr in the Caspian Sea Mazandaran province, reported the Iranian daily newspaper Kayhan.
NOVEMBER 12, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO MEN HANGED IN HAMEDAN
Iran hanged two men convicted of rape and murder in the prison of Hamedan, western part of Iran, the
- NOVEMBER 11, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: KURDISH POLITICAL PRISONER HANGED
Kurdish political prisoner Ehsan Fattahian was hanged in the prison of Sanandaj, the provincial capital of
- NOVEMBER 8, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: KURDISH ACTIVIST EHSAN FATAHIYAN TO BE EXECUTED
the death sentence of Ehsan Fatahiyan, a 27 year old Kurdish activist in Iran, is set to be carried out on November 11, 2009.
NOVEMBER 7, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FOUR MEN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Four men were hanged in the prison of Kerman (southeastern Iran) early this morning, reported the state run news agency Fars.
- NOVEMBER 4, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: REVOKE DEATH SENTENCES FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS
Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, urged Iran to revoke the death sentences of Mehdi P., from Tabriz; Moshen G., from Shiraz; and Nemat Safavi, from Ardebil.
- NOVEMBER 2, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: ABDOLHAMID RIGI EXECUTED IN ZAHEDAN
According to the Iranian Police news center, a member of the militant group "Jondollah", identified as Abdolhamid Rigi, was hanged in the prison of Zahedan.
- OCTOBER 22, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN LAWYER SEEKS CASH TO SPARE YOUNG ON DEATH ROW
an Iranian human rights lawyer launched an appeal for money to help avert the executions of juvenile offenders in the Islamic Republic.
OCTOBER 21, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FIVE PEOPLE EXECUTED IN TEHRAN
one woman and four men were executed in Tehran’s Evin prison early the morning.
- OCTOBER 20, 2009United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: TWO GET CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
the Khorfakan Criminal Court in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, sentenced a UAE woman, 47, and her
- OCTOBER 13, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
UN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES REVIEW OF IRAN DEATH SENTENCES
Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on Iran's high courts to review death sentences imposed on three people arrested after Iran's disputed presidential election.
- OCTOBER 12, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO WOMEN AND FOUR MEN EXECUTED IN KHUZESTAN PROVINCE
Six people have been executed in the southwest Iranian Khuzestan during the last week, reported the Iranian daily newspaper Kayhan quoting the state run news agency Fars.
- OCTOBER 12, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR JUNE PROTESTS
the reformist site Mowjcamp announced that the Tehran Revolutionary Court had issued a fourth death
- OCTOBER 11, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MINOR OFFENDER BEHNOUD SHOJAEE EXECUTED IN TEHRAN
the minor offender Behnoud Shojaee was executed at 5 in the morning at Tehran's Evin Prison. He was convicted of murdering another boy by the name Omid in June 2005, when he was 17 years old.
- OCTOBER 10, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: D’ELIA (RADICALS)- DEATH PENALTY ALSO RESULT OF POLITICS OF APPEASEMENT
"As usual, the Mullah’s regime celebrated the world day against the death penalty in a deadly manner,"