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
- 9,149
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 9,149 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
MAY 31, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PEOPLE HANGED IN SHIRVAN
Two people were hanged in the prison of Shirvan (north Khorasan province
MAY 31, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: SEVEN AFGHAN IMMIGRANTS EXECUTED
Iranian authorities executed seven Afghan refugees, their relatives in western Herat province
MAY 31, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: SIX PEOPLE HANGED
six people have been hanged recently in Iran.
- MAY 29, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
quoting Isfahan judiciary’s public relations, Isfahan Metropolis News agency (IMNA) reported
quoting Isfahan judiciary’s public relations, Isfahan Metropolis News agency (IMNA) reported
MAY 26, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. MAN HANGED FOR RAPE
Iran hanged a man in a prison in the southeastern city of Zahedan after convicting him of rape, the Fars news agency reported. The report identified the man sent to the gallows as Jamshid Mir.
MAY 25, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FILMMAKER JAFAR PANAHI RELEASED
Iran released an internationally renowned filmmaker and opposition supporter on bail after more than two months in custody, state TV reported.
MAY 25, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN HANGS FOUR CONVICTED DRUG SMUGGLERS
four people were hanged in the prison of Yazd after
- MAY 24, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
five people, including one woman, were hanged in the prison
five people, including one woman, were hanged in the prison
MAY 24, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: ABDOLHAMID RIGI HANGED IN ZAHEDAN
Iran executed a brother of the detained leader of a Sunni Muslim rebel group behind the deadliest bomb attack in the Islamic Republic in years, official media reported.
MAY 23, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN EXECUTED IN AHWAZ FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
a man was hanged in the Iranian province of Khuzestan for drug trafficking.
MAY 21, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN HANGED FOR MURDER
Iran hanged a man identified only as Mohammad in the central province of Isfahan
MAY 20, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN EXECUTED IN PUBLIC FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran publicly hanged a man convicted of drug trafficking in the western city of Ahvaz, Fars news agency reported. The man was identified by his initials as A.A., he was arrested with 1.375 kilos of heroin.
- MAY 18, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran executed two men for drug trafficking in Isfahan Central Prison, FARS
MAY 16, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: STUDENT’S DEATH SENTENCE FOR THROWING ROCKS REVERSED
in Iran, Tehran’s Prosecutor General, Abbas Jaafari Dowlatabadi, announced that the death sentence
MAY 15, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE FOR OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS
The death sentence for six opposition activists arrested in protests after last year's
- MAY 12, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
EU: IRAN URGED TO DROP DEATH SENTENCE ON TWO 'MOHAREBS'
European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton pleaded with Iran to drop death sentences
- MAY 9, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS 5 KURDISH ACTIVISTS, INCLUDING WOMAN
five Kurdish activists, including a woman, were hanged in Iran's notorious Evin Prison.
MAY 8, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: SIX HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran hanged six men convicted of drug trafficking in
APRIL 30, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN SENTENCES TWO TO DEATH
in Iran, Tehran lawyer Nasim Ghanavi told the International Campaign for Human
- APRIL 29, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED IN ARDEBIL
One person was hanged in the prison of Ardebil, in northwestern Iran.
- APRIL 26, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO EXECUTIONS IN MASHAD
According to the Iranian daily newspaper Quds, two men
- APRIL 25, 2010AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
ONLY SIX AFGHANS EXECUTED IN IRAN, ENVOY TELLS AFGHAN SPEAKER
Iran's deputy ambassador met with Afghani Senate Speaker Prof Hazrat Sebghatollah Mojaddedi and allegedly dismissed the rumour that 45 Afghans had been executed and 3,000 others were in jail in Iran.
APRIL 23, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN SENTENCES ETHNIC KURDISH CITIZEN TO DEATH
a Kurdish citizen was sentenced to death by a revolutionary court
- APRIL 20, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED FOR MURDER
The official website of Khuzestan (southwestern Iran) judiciary reported that
- APRIL 19, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR RAPE
Iran hanged an unidentified man for rape in a prison in the southeastern province of
- APRIL 19, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS TWO RAPISTS
Iran hanged two convicted rapists in a prison in the central city
- APRIL 19, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: FOUR HANGED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Iran hanged four men in a prison in the southeastern province of Kerman for drug smuggling
APRIL 15, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: WOMAN PROTESTER SENTENCED TO DEATH
a female protester arrested in the Ashura protests in Iran in 2009 was sentenced to
- APRIL 14, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. PUBLIC EXECUTION
one man was hanged in public in the town of Khoramshahr, in the southwest Iranian province of Khuzestan, according to the official website of the Khuzestan judiciary.
APRIL 14, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE CONVICTED RAPISTS PUBLICLY HANGED
Three men were hanged in public in the northern Iranian city of Babolsar, reported