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
- 8,610
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 8,610 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
- MARCH 11, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTY
NETHERLANDS. DUTCH COURT REJECTS APPEAL BY GAY IRANIAN MAN
the Council of State, the Netherlands' highest administrative court, rejected an
- MARCH 7, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRANIAN LESBIAN WHO FLED TO BRITAIN FACES DEPORTATION
an Iranian lesbian who fled to Britain after her girlfriend was arrested and
- MARCH 4, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO HANGED FOR MURDER
Iran hanged two men convicted of murder, one of them an Afghan, in
- MARCH 3, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTY
NETHERLANDS. DECISION TO REPATRIATE GAY IRANIAN POSTPONED TO MARCH 5
in Rotterdam this morning, a Dutch judge met Seyed Mehdi Kazemi, the
- MARCH 3, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTY
GAY IRANIAN. RADICALS ASK DUTCH EU REPRESENTATIVE TO INTERVENE
Radical European Parliamentarians Marco Cappato and Marco Pannella asked
- FEBRUARY 28, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
l’Organizzazione iraniana per i diritti umani delle Minoranze ha reso noto che
l’Organizzazione iraniana per i diritti umani delle Minoranze ha reso noto che
- FEBRUARY 28, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
two members of the Kurdish minority in Iran, identified as Ali Heydarian and Farhad Vakili
two members of the Kurdish minority in Iran, identified as Ali Heydarian and Farhad Vakili
- FEBRUARY 27, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
in Iran five teenagers were sentenced...
in Iran five teenagers were sentenced...
- FEBRUARY 26, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
EU ATTACKS IRAN'S NEW PENAL CODE
the European Union criticised the new penal code being drafted in Iran,
- FEBRUARY 26, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. A YOUNG MAN HANGED FOR A CRIME HE COMMITTED AT 16
The mullahs' regime hanged a young man identified as Javad Shojaii accused of a crime committed when he was 16, the state-run daily Etemad reported.
- FEBRUARY 26, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTY
NETHERLANDS. AUTHORITIES BLOCK MEHDI’S TRANSFER TO UK
the Dutch authorities blocked the transfer of gay Iranian youth Mehdi Kazemi
- FEBRUARY 25, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. KURDISH TEACHER SENTENCED TO DEATH
Branch 30 of Iran's Revolutionary Court sentenced Kurdish teacher Farzad
- FEBRUARY 25, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
UK. NO TO DEPORTATION OF GAY IRANIAN YOUTH
in the next few hours the gay Iranian youth Mehdi Kazemi will
- FEBRUARY 22, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. DEATH SENTENCE ANNULLED AND NEW TRIAL FOR HASSANPOUR
the death sentence of Kurd journalist Adnan Hassanpour was annulled, the
- FEBRUARY 20, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Six people were hanged in the Islamabad prison of Zanjan...
Six people were hanged in the Islamabad prison of Zanjan...
- FEBRUARY 20, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
four convicted murderers were hanged in Tehran's Evin prison
four convicted murderers were hanged in Tehran's Evin prison
- FEBRUARY 19, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Mohammad Latif, 18, whose death sentence had been approved...
Mohammad Latif, 18, whose death sentence had been approved...
- FEBRUARY 19, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
six prisoners, Mohammadreza 30, Majid...
six prisoners, Mohammadreza 30, Majid...
- FEBRUARY 18, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran hanged two men convicted of murder in a prison in
Iran hanged two men convicted of murder in a prison in
- FEBRUARY 18, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
a 30 years old woman, identified as Zahra...
a 30 years old woman, identified as Zahra...
- FEBRUARY 17, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
a death sentence issued by Bench 133 of Mashhad Public
a death sentence issued by Bench 133 of Mashhad Public
- FEBRUARY 17, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
according to the Justice Department of Khorasan Razavi Province
according to the Justice Department of Khorasan Razavi Province
- FEBRUARY 16, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA...
according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA...
- FEBRUARY 13, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN QUASHES EXECUTION VERDICT FOR FOOTBALL CASE WOMAN
Iran quashed the conviction of a woman sentenced to death for murdering a
- FEBRUARY 11, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. LIFE OF A TEENAGE HANGS IN BALANCE
despite widespread international calls by humanitarian organizations for stay of
- FEBRUARY 11, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. YOUNG BELUCHI JOURNALIST CONDEMNED TO DEATH
Yaghoub Mehrnahad, a student and journalist from the Beluchi ethnic group, is the
- FEBRUARY 9, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
the Iranian judiciary acquitted a young man, identified only by his first name
the Iranian judiciary acquitted a young man, identified only by his first name
- FEBRUARY 7, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN CONVICTED OF CHILD MURDERS
Iran hanged a man for murdering four boys, Tehran Emrooz newspaper reported.
- FEBRUARY 5, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR BEING DRUNK
an Iranian court sentenced a 22 year old man to death for violating the Islamic
- FEBRUARY 5, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. DRAFT LAW PROPOSES DEATH PENALTY FOR RELIGIOUS CONVERSION
the Iranian Parliament is reviewing a draft penal code that for the first time in