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
APRIL 13, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: ARMED ROBBER HANGED
Iran publicly hanged a man and amputated the limbs of another for armed robbery in
APRIL 11, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE MEN HANGED IN ISFAHAN
Three men were hanged in the prison of Isfahan, in central Iran, reported the state run news agency Fars.
- APRIL 10, 2010AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
MPS CONCERNED OVER HANGING OF AFGHANS IN IRAN
Nur Akbari, a parliamentarian for Herat Province in Afghanistan, told parliament that he saw the bodies of 45 Afghans who were hanged in Iran and then sent to Afghanistan via Islam Qala port.
- APRIL 8, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO MEN HANGED IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PROVINCE OF KHUZESTAN
two men were hanged in public in the towns of Behbehan and Shadegan, in the southwest Iranian
APRIL 8, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FIVE DRUG TRAFFICKERS HANGED
Five people were hanged in Mashad (northeastern Iran) according to the reports.
- APRIL 8, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE PEOPLE HANGED IN TAIBAD
Three people were hanged in the prison of Taibad (Taybad) northeastern Iran, reported the
- APRIL 2, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: KURDISH MOTHER AND HER CHILDREN SENTENCED TO DEATH
to the court in Mahabad in the Iranian Kurdish province of Urmiyeh, Caziye Dervis Zade and her
- MARCH 22, 2010AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN: OUTCRY IN KABUL OVER AFGHANS ON DEATH ROW IN IRAN
a delegation of Afghan lawmakers including Abdul Sattar Khwasi, first secretary of the lower house of parliament, returned from Iran with news that three thousand Afghanis have been sentenced to death there for various crimes
MARCH 22, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: AFGHANI MINOR ON DEATH ROW
it was reported that Jandarshah Nabizada, 16, from Afghanistan's northern Takhar Province
- MARCH 20, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
CALLS TO CANCEL DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST IRANIAN KURDISH ACTIVIST
Falak al-Din Kaka Yi, a former Iraqi Kurdistan minister...
- MARCH 17, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
SERIAL KILLER SENTENCED TO DEATH PENALTY IN IRAN
a man was sentenced to death six times, 24 months' imprisonment and 74 lashes for killing six women from 2006 to 2009 in the Iranian city of Qazvin, court spokesperson Mazahir Mehralian told Iranian news agency FARS.
MARCH 17, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: ANOTHER ASHURA DAY PROTESTER RECEIVES THE DEATH SENTENCE
Abdolreza Ghanbari, accused of heretics (moharebeh) in Iran for participation in Ashura Day
MARCH 15, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PROTESTORS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Six people arrested during the riots on Ashura Day were sentenced to death, Tehran
- MARCH 10, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO MEN HANGED IN QOM
Two men were hanged in the prison of Qom, Iran, reported the state run Iranian
MARCH 10, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: ONE MAN HANGED IN PUBLIC
One man was hanged in public in the southwest Iranian city of Ahvaz, reported the official
MARCH 8, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Two men were hanged in the province of Lorestan, west of Iran, early this week.
- MARCH 7, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED IN PRISON WEST OF TEHRAN
One man was hanged in the prison of Rajaee Shahr (west of Tehran) last week. According
- MARCH 7, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: PROSECUTOR SAYS VALIAN DEATH SENTENCE NOT CARRIED OUT, STILL AWAITING APPEAL
in Iran, Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi denied reports that Mohammad Amin
- MARCH 3, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH FOR OPPOSITION ACTIVIST
An Iranian opposition-run Web site says an appeals court has upheld the death sentence for a student who
MARCH 3, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: AMPUTATION SENTENCE OF ONE PERSON AND PUBLIC FLOGGING OF ANOTHER CARRIED OUT IN KHUZESTAN
According to the web site of the Public Relations Office of the Khuzestan Court House
MARCH 1, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: EIGHT MEN HANGED FOR MURDER, DRUG TRAFFICKING
eight men have been hanged in Iran recently for murder, drug trafficking.
- FEBRUARY 27, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
CALL TO STOP EXECUTION OF IRANIAN-KURDISH ACTIVIST
over two thousand Iranian human rights and social activists have called for the annulment of death sentence issued to Shirin Alam Huli, 28.
- FEBRUARY 27, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
Three men were hanged in the prison of Birjand in eastern Iran, reported the daily enwspaper Khorasan
Three men were hanged in the prison of Birjand in eastern Iran, reported the daily enwspaper Khorasan
- FEBRUARY 25, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
Five men were hanged in the prison of Kerman
Five men were hanged in the prison of Kerman, southeastern Iran, reported the state run Iranian news
- FEBRUARY 24, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
Sistan-Baluchestan Province Prosecutor Mohammad Marziye denied...
Sistan-Baluchestan Province Prosecutor Mohammad Marziye denied...
- FEBRUARY 24, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: JUNDULLAH' LEADERS' BROTHER EXECUTED
Iran executed Jundullah terrorist organisation leader Abdolmalek Rigi's brother
FEBRUARY 22, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: DISSIDENTS - 'GOVERNMENT KILLS TO INSTILL FEAR'
according to the International Network Iran Human Rights 2009 Report there were 402 executions
- FEBRUARY 21, 2010KuwaitDEATH PENALTY
KUWAIT: DEATH TO LIFE FOR IRANIAN
the Kuwaiti Court of Appeals commuted the death sentence of an Iranian man...
- FEBRUARY 20, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE PEOPLE HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Three men were hanged in two different Iranian cities for drug trafficking.
- FEBRUARY 18, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: PEJAK TERRORISTS EXECUTED IN IRAN
five people were executed in the Iranian city of Urmia for assisting terrorist organisation PEJAK