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
- DECEMBER 25, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran’s Supreme Court upheld a death sentence against a young woman.
Iran’s Supreme Court upheld a death sentence against a young woman.
- DECEMBER 20, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. THREE YOUNG MEN HANGED IN PUBLIC
Iranian authorities publicly hanged three men all in their twenties in the town of Sabzevar, north-east Iran, the state-run Fars news agency reported.
- DECEMBER 20, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
EUROPEAN UNION. EU CONDEMNS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN IRAN
the European Union condemned Iran for continued human rights abuses. In a statement issued by the British presidency, the 25-member bloc said greater respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms was essential to improve relations between the EU and I
- DECEMBER 20, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN IRAN'S MAZANDARAN PROVINCE
the director-general of the Mazandaran Province's Public and Revolution Courts...
- DECEMBER 19, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
Zabihollah Mahrami, an Iranian of the Bahai faith, died in his jail cell of unknown causes
Zabihollah Mahrami, an Iranian of the Bahai faith, died in his jail cell of unknown causes
- DECEMBER 18, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN ESCAPES NOOSE FOLLOWING PARDON
an Iranian national, only identified as Morteza, escaped the noose after winning the forgiveness of relatives of his victim.
- DECEMBER 18, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED FOR KILLING BROTHER
Ali Babai-Pour was hanged in Tehran, Iran, for killing his brother after an argument.
- DECEMBER 18, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. CONVICTED MURDER HANGED IN TEHRAN
an Iranian national -- only identified as a youth named Mohsen -- was hanged inside Tehran's Evin prison.
- DECEMBER 18, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, named Aziz, was hanged for murder in Iran.
a man, named Aziz, was hanged for murder in Iran.
- DECEMBER 13, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. EIGHT CHILD OFFENDERS EXECUTED THIS YEAR
“Iran has executed at least eight juvenile offenders so far this year, two of whom were still under 18 at the time they were executed”, Amnesty International said in a statement.
- DECEMBER 13, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO YOUTHS SENTENCED TO EXECUTION
Iran’s State Supreme Court upheld sentences for two young men to be hanged in the Iranian capital Tehran, a state-run daily reported.
- DECEMBER 10, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. YOUNG MAN HANGED IN TEHRAN
a young man was hanged in the Iranian capital Tehran, the state-run news agency ISNA reported.
- DECEMBER 10, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. IRAN PUBLICLY HANGS AFGHAN FOR CRIME COMMITTED AS MINOR
Iran publicly hanged Rostam Tajik, an Afghan national, for a crime he was alleged to have committed as a minor.
- DECEMBER 10, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
a man was hanged in a prison in the city of Qazvin...
a man was hanged in a prison in the city of Qazvin...
- DECEMBER 7, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. YOUNG WOMAN HANGED IN PRISON
a young Iranian woman was hanged in prison in the north-eastern town of Shirevan.
- DECEMBER 7, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
two young men were publicly hanged near the central city of Arak
two young men were publicly hanged near the central city of Arak
- DECEMBER 7, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
an Iranian man accused of fatally shooting a member of Iran’s paramilitary State Security Forces...
an Iranian man accused of fatally shooting a member of Iran’s paramilitary State Security Forces...
- NOVEMBER 30, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
according to the www.komitedefa.org website, during the month of November...
according to the www.komitedefa.org website, during the month of November...
- NOVEMBER 30, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
according to the ”Iranian Human Rights Activist Groups in EU and North America...
according to the ”Iranian Human Rights Activist Groups in EU and North America...
- NOVEMBER 23, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. SUPREME COURT SENTENCES WOMAN TO HANGING
Iran’s State Supreme Court upheld a death sentence against a woman, state dailies reported.
- NOVEMBER 19, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran denounced as politically motivated a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly
Iran denounced as politically motivated a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly
- NOVEMBER 18, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
UNITED NATIONS. UN VOICES SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN IRAN
the UN General Assembly passed a resolution expressing "serious concern" about human rights violations in Iran, including the use of torture and public executions, and called on Tehran to end the abuses.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. THREE MEN CONVICTED OF RAPE HANGED
three Iranian men convicted of raping and kidnapping a male in his late teens were hanged in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah.
- NOVEMBER 14, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED FOR RUNNING PORN RING
a man was publicly hanged in the town of Qazvin, west of the Iranian capital Tehran.
- NOVEMBER 13, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO YOUNG HOMOSEXUALS HANGED
two young men were hanged in a public square in the northern city of Gorgan after being found guilty of lavat, or homosexual relationship, the daily Kayhan reported.
- NOVEMBER 13, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING
Iran’s State Supreme Court upheld a death sentence against a woman who had been accused of murdering her abusive husband, the state-run Fars news agency reported.
- NOVEMBER 10, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. CONVICTED MURDERER HANGED IN IRAN
an Iranian man convicted of murder was hanged in a prison in the central city of Isfahan.
- NOVEMBER 10, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. EXECUTION SPARKS RAMPAGE OF REVENGE
the execution of a convicted killer in western Iran sparked a revenge shooting spree by his family against relatives of the murder victim.
- NOVEMBER 8, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. YOUNG MAN PUBLICLY HANGED IN NORTH OF COUNTRY
a young man was publicly hanged in the northern Iranian town of Sari, a semi-official daily reported.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ‘ILLEGAL SEXUAL RELATIONS’
a young married woman and her lover were sentenced to death by a Tehran judge for having ‘illegal sexual relations’, the daily ‘Etemad’ reported.