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
OCTOBER 10, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE PROTESTERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Three people arrested after Iran's disputed presidential election have been condemned to death, ISNA
- OCTOBER 9, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGES IRAN TO RESCIND FIRST DEATH SENTENCE
Amnesty International urged Iran to rescind a death sentence imposed on Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani, the first person to be sentenced to death for protesting the disputed June presidential election.
OCTOBER 6, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: SEVEN AHWAZI ARABS FACING EXECUTION
Seven Ahwazi Arab opposition activists have been sentenced to death in secret trials in Iran's Revolutionary
- OCTOBER 5, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN EXECUTION POSTPONEMENT MOVE WELCOMED
Amnesty International welcomed the postponement by Iranian authorities of the execution of Abbas Hosseini, an Afghan national, for a murder committed when he was 17 years old.
- OCTOBER 5, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: PROTESTER GETS DEATH SENTENCE
a man identified as Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani learnt from the Iranian authorities that he had been
- OCTOBER 5, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED FOR ADULTERY AND HOMOSEXUALITY
a man was hanged for adultery and homosexuality, human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei reported.
- OCTOBER 4, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN FREES TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING
an Iranian man and woman convicted of adultery and sentenced to death by stoning were freed on appeal,
- OCTOBER 3, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: IRAN MOVES TO EXECUTE MAN FOR CRIME COMMITTED WHEN HE WAS 17
Amnesty International warned of the imminent execution of Afghan national Abbas Hosseini in Mashhad, north-eastern Iran, for a murder committed in 2003 when he was 17.
- SEPTEMBER 28, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: FIVE HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Five people were hanged in the prison of Taybad, north-east of Iran reported the official news site of the Iranian police.
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: WOMAN HANGED FOR MURDER
One woman was hanged in the prison of Sarakhs, north-east Iran, reported the state run Iranian news
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
EU ASKS IRAN TO HALT PLANNED EXECUTION OF MINORS
the European Union urged Iran to honour its international commitments and halt three imminent executions of people who committed crimes as minors.
- AUGUST 19, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS 2 MEN ON MURDER CHARGE
two men, were hanged in Tehran’s Evin prison, the Iranian state run news agency Iscanews reported.
- AUGUST 19, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HALTS EXECUTION OF SEVEN PEOPLE
Iran's stayed the executions of seven people, including a man who was sentenced for a murder committed when he was a minor.
- AUGUST 19, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. ONE EXECUTION FOR DRUG
a man, identified as Mansour (51) was hanged in the prison of Isfahan (central Iran), the government newspaper Iran reported. He was convicted of drug trafficking.
- AUGUST 19, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN CONVICTED FOR MURDER
a man, identified Meysam (24) was hanged in the prison of Isfahan (central Iran), the government newspaper Iran reported. He was convicted of murder.
- AUGUST 18, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN TO BE EXECUTED FOR MURDER COMMITTED AS MINOR
an Iranian man, convicted of murder at the age of 16, is expected to be executed in Tehran, according to the Iran Human Rights group.
- AUGUST 17, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE WOMEN PRISONERS IN GOHARDASHT JAIL OF KARAJ ON THE VERGE OF EXECUTION
three women prisoners in Gohardasht jail in Karaj, Iran, are on the verge of execution.
- AUGUST 12, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS TWO FOR RAPE
two men convicted of rape were executed in a prison in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, the Etemad newspaper reported.
- AUGUST 7, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY SAYS LARGE SPIKE IN EXECUTIONS IN IRAN
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said it recorded an "alarming spike" in executions in Iran since the disputed presidential election in June.
- AUGUST 3, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO EXECUTIONS FOR RAPE
two people were hanged in the prison of Boroujed, (Lorestan province, western Iran), reported the Iranian daily Kayhan.
- AUGUST 3, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE MEN HANGED FOR RAPE
Three men were hanged in the prison of Hamedan, western part of Iran, reported the
- AUGUST 1, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran hanged a man convicted of drug trafficking in the central city of Isfahan, government newspaper Iran reported.
- AUGUST 1, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO MEN HANGED FOR MURDER
Iran hanged two men convicted of murder in the central city of Isfahan, government newspaper Iran reported.
JULY 30, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: 24 PEOPLE HANGED IN A PRISON WEST OF TEHRAN
24 people were hanged in the prison of Rajaee Shahr, at Karaj (west of Tehran), according to a report published by the state run Iranian news website "Borna news".
- JULY 29, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. A MAN AND A WOMAN HANGED
one woman and one man were hanged in the prison of Shiraz (southern Iran), reported the Iranian daily Etemad.
- JULY 29, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO MEN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
two people were hanged in the prison of Isfahan, according to a report published by the official website of Isfahan judiciary.
- JULY 29, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN EXECUTED FOR DRUG-TRAFFICKING
a man was hanged in the prison of Isfahan, according to a report published by the official website of Isfahan judiciary.
- JULY 25, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: ONE EXECUTION FOR DRUG
state-run Iranian radio reported that Seyyed Ahmad Es’hagh zahi was executed in the prison of Zahedan for being involved in carrying heroin and hashish
JULY 25, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO EXECUTED FOR TERRORISM
two members of the Jundallah group, lead by Abdolmalik Rigi, were hanged in Iran.
- JULY 23, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR
Iran has hanged a man convicted of rape and murder in an execution carried out in a prison in the southern town of Estehban, the Kayhan newspaper reported.