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
- JULY 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified only as Mohsen, 30...
a man, identified only as Mohsen, 30...
- JULY 19, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO MEN IN THEIR 20S HANGED IN PUBLIC
Iranian authorities hanged two young men in public in the western city of Boroujerd.
- JULY 14, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
TURKEY. WOMEN PROTEST STONING TO DEATH OF IRANIAN
Turkish women organizations joined the growing international campaign for Iranian woman prisoner Melek Ghorbany who was sentenced to death by stoning on June 28, by a court in the northwest Iranian city of Urmia after being found guilty of committing adul
- JULY 13, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran hanged a man, Majid Rigi, for drug-related crime.
Iran hanged a man, Majid Rigi, for drug-related crime.
- JULY 12, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. FOUR MEN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
four men convicted of serious drug trafficking were hanged in the southeasten town of Zabol. The town is near Iran’s border with Afghanistan and Pakistan, and sits on a major narcotics trafficking route.
- JULY 11, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED FOR MURDER
an Iranian man convicted of murder has been hanged in the western city of Boroujerd in Lorestan province, the official news agency IRNA reported.
- JULY 11, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN PUBLICLY HANGED FOR ABDUCTION, RAPE
a man found guilty of snatching and raping scores of young girls with the help of his wife was hanged in public in the central Iranian city of Isfahan.
- JULY 8, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED FOR RAPE
an Iranian man convicted on two counts of raping minors has been hanged in the northern city of Shahrud.
- JULY 6, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO MEN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
two Iranian men convicted of drug trafficking were hanged in the southern city of Kerman, reports said.
- JULY 4, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN SENTENCED TO 10 TIMES EXECUTION
a court in southern Iran has sentenced a man to ten times execution, the official news agency reported.
- JULY 3, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. ARMED ROBBER HANGED PUBLICLY
an Iranian man convicted of repeated armed robbery and kidnapping has been hanged in a village near the southern city of Shiraz, AFP reported.
- JULY 3, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
Hassan Tala, 23, has been sentenced...
Hassan Tala, 23, has been sentenced...
- JULY 2, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified only as Abdolhossein...
a man, identified only as Abdolhossein...
- JUNE 28, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING
- JUNE 28, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. FIVE WOMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING IN PAST TWELVE MONTHS
the mullahs' regime has sentenced a woman, Ashraf Kalhori, to death by stoning, according to reports received.
- JUNE 26, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED IN PUBLIC FOR MURDER
an Iranian man convicted of murder was hanged in public in the southern city of Shiraz.
- JUNE 25, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
two men identified as Nasser and Saeed were hanged in public in the southern city of Shiraz
two men identified as Nasser and Saeed were hanged in public in the southern city of Shiraz
- JUNE 25, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified only as Hossein...
a man, identified only as Hossein...
- JUNE 24, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
a political prisoner was hanged in Tehran after serving 10 years behind bars.
a political prisoner was hanged in Tehran after serving 10 years behind bars.
- JUNE 24, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
the mullahs’ judiciary hanged a young men aged 22 in Tehran, CNRI reported.
the mullahs’ judiciary hanged a young men aged 22 in Tehran, CNRI reported.
- JUNE 22, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO MEN PUBLICLY HANGED
press reports said that two men convicted on charges including murder, organised crime and assault were hanged in public in Iran.
- JUNE 21, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN PUBLICLY HANGED FOR MURDER
an Iranian man convicted of murder was publicly hanged in the southern city of Shiraz.
- JUNE 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
an Iranian convicted of killing two civilians in a bombin...
an Iranian convicted of killing two civilians in a bombing and a policeman in a shooting has been hanged in the southeastern town of Zabol hard by the Afghan border, official media said.
- JUNE 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
a man was executed in Zabol Prison according to state-run news agency Irna.
a man was executed in Zabol Prison according to state-run news agency Irna.
- JUNE 15, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. WOMAN AND A MAN HANGED IN SOUTHEASTERN PROVINCE
the Iranian regime hanged a woman and a man in Iranshahr, southeast Iran.
- JUNE 14, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. FOUR ARABS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TERRORISM
four Arabs convicted of unrest in Iran's southeastern oil city of Ahwaz were sentenced to death.
- JUNE 14, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
UNITED NATIONS. UN BODY CONCERNED OVER JUVENILE EXECUTION IN IRAN
the representative of UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, condemned the execution of juveniles in Iran.
- JUNE 13, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. FIVE HANGED FOR RAPE AND KIDNAPPING
five Iranian men convicted of kidnapping and rape were hanged in the southern cities of Kerman and Zahedan.
- JUNE 12, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. THREE MEN EXECUTED IN WESTERN IRAN
three men were hanged in city of Qazvin, west of Tehran.
- JUNE 12, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MINOR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
a 17 year old boy was sentenced to death in Iran for murder, according to the daily ‘Etemad’.