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
- 9,221
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 9,221 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
- JULY 19, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE MEN HANGED FOR RAPE
Iran hanged three men convicted of rape in the northeastern city of Qoochan
JULY 19, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE YOUNG MEN HANGED IN PUBLIC
Three young men were hanged publicly in the Azadi (Freedom) Square of Kermanshah in
JULY 16, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: ANOTHER 30 HANGED AT VAKILABAD PRISON ON DRUG CHARGES
Iranian authorities have hanged another 30 prisoners at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad on drug
JULY 13, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN HANGED IN BANDAR-ABBAS
One man was hanged in Bandar-Abbas prison (capital of the Hormozgan province, southern Iran) in the morning.
JULY 13, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN 'STONING WOMAN' ATTENDS MOTHER'S FUNERAL
A woman sentenced to death by stoning in Iran is in "perfect health" and has been allowed to
- JULY 12, 2011JapanDEATH PENALTY
COMPANY ENDS CONTRACTS WITH IRAN AFTER CRANES USED IN PUBLIC HANGINGS
A Japanese company said it has ended contracts with the Iranian government following a report that its cranes have been used for public executions.
JULY 11, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FOUR PEOPLE HANGED IN QOM
Four people have been executed in Qom prison during the past two weeks.
JULY 7, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO MEN EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Two men were hanged in the prison of Orumiyeh (northwestern Iran) early this
JULY 4, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: YOUNG MAN HANGED IN MASHHAD
A young man was hanged in the central prison of Khorasan, Iran, reported the Iranian daily "Khorasan".
- JULY 3, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
According to the group "Iranian Activists for Human Rights and Democracy", 7 people
According to the group "Iranian Activists for Human Rights and Democracy", 7 people
- JULY 3, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
According to reliable sources, 25 people in Ghezel Hesar prison (in Karaj, west
According to reliable sources, 25 people in Ghezel Hesar prison (in Karaj, west
JULY 3, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN 'ANNULS DEATH TERM' FOR CHRISTIAN PASTOR
Iran's supreme court has overturned a death sentence handed down to Yusef Nadarkhani
- JULY 3, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: 32 PEOPLE HANGED
According to the group Iran Human Rights, 32 people were hanged in Iran.
- JUNE 30, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: DEATH SENTENCE FOR APOSTASY REPORTEDLY UPHELD FOR PASTOR NADARKHANI
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported that the death sentence handed down in 2010
- JUNE 28, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: 'TWENTY-SIX ALLEGED DRUG TRAFFICKERS HANGED'
the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) said local sources in Mashad told the ICHRI that 26 more alleged drug traffickers were hanged at Vakilabad Prison on June 15, 2011.
- JUNE 27, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: JUDICIARY CHIEF INSISTS ON USE OF PUBLIC HANGINGS
the head of Iran's judiciary, Ayatollah Larijani, announced that "hoodlums and
- JUNE 25, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
140 PEOPLE EXECUTED IN SOUTHERN KHORASAN PROVINCE
the Iranian regime executed 140 people it accused of drug smuggling in the province of South Khorasan over the past year, according to the province’s judiciary.
- JUNE 20, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE MEN HANGED IN PUBLIC
Three people were hanged in public in Iran, in the southeastern town of Zabol, early this morning
- JUNE 20, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE MEN EXECUTED
Three men have been hanged in Iran in recent days.
- JUNE 19, 2011AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
Two men were hanged in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, reported the Iranian daily newspaper
Two men were hanged in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, reported the Iranian daily newspaper
- JUNE 18, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
One man was hanged in Shahr-e Kord prison (western Iran). According to the
One man was hanged in Shahr-e Kord prison (western Iran). According to the
- JUNE 14, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED IN PUBLIC
Iran hanged in public a man convicted of raping and killing an eight-year-old girl in
- JUNE 12, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO BROTHERS HANGED
Iran hanged two brothers convicted of kidnapping and murder in a prison of the
JUNE 9, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO MEN HANGED IN PUBLIC
Two men were hanged in public in Neyshabur (northeastern Iran) early this morning.
- JUNE 8, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: CONVICTED SERIAL RAPIST HANGED
Iran hanged a man convicted of serial rape in a prison in the southern city of Kerman
JUNE 6, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: SUPREME COURT QUASHES DEATH SENTENCE IN 'PORN' CASE
Iran’s Supreme Court has quashed the death sentence for Saeed Malekpour, a web programmer
- JUNE 1, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
two men were hanged in Tehran’s Evin prison, Jam-e-Jam online (belonging
two men were hanged in Tehran’s Evin prison, Jam-e-Jam online (belonging
- JUNE 1, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
According to the official site of the Iranian judiciary in Kerman (southeastern Iran) four people were hanged
According to the official site of the Iranian judiciary in Kerman (southeastern Iran) four people were hanged
JUNE 1, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: SIX MEN HANGED
six men were hanged in Iran.
MAY 31, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: 300 ON DEATH ROW FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Iran has 300 convicted drug smugglers on death row, Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said in comments published today, adding that, to his regret, few of them were major traffickers.