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
- 9,218
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 9,218 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 19, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYUNITED KINGDOM. GAY STUDENT WHO FACED EXECUTION IN IRAN GRANTED ASYLUM
a gay man who faces the death penalty in Iran won asylum in the UK after protests prompted
MAY 14, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN. GHOLAM HAIDAR BALOCH FACES RISK OF EXECUTION IF TRANSFERRED TO IRAN
Balochistan Human Rights Watch reported that Gholam Haidar Baloch, a Pakistan
MAY 11, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. FIVE CONVICTED SEX MURDERERS HANGED
Iran hanged five men convicted of burning a young woman alive after raping her, at a prison in the central city of Qom, the government newspaper Iran reported.
- MAY 8, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
three men were hanged in the Rejaee shahr prison...
three men were hanged in the Rejaee shahr prison...
MAY 7, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTYUK. IRANIAN RESISTANCE AQUITTED OF TERRORISM ACCUSATIONS AGAIN
the Court of Appeal in London ordered the British Government to remove the People's
MAY 7, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. FOUR HANGED FOR MURDER
Iran hanged four men convicted of murder in Tehran's Evin prison.
MAY 6, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN DELAYS YOUNG MAN'S EXECUTION AFTER EU APPEAL
Iran's judiciary ordered a month's postponement of the execution of a young man
- MAY 5, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran has hanged nine drug traffickers, reports said.
Iran has hanged nine drug traffickers, reports said.
- MAY 5, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported...
the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported...
- MAY 4, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
three men convicted of kidnapping and raping at least 11 girls were sent to the gallows in Iran, in the
three men convicted of kidnapping and raping at least 11 girls were sent to the gallows in Iran, in the
- MAY 4, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
EU URGES IRAN TO SPARE MAN OVER YOUTHFUL KILLING
the European Union urged Iran not to execute a young man sentenced to death for a fatal stabbing committed when he was a minor
- MAY 3, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
the state run Iranian Fars news agency reported that...
the state run Iranian Fars news agency reported that...
- APRIL 30, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran hanged two men convicted of drug trafficking in a prison in the central city
- APRIL 27, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN YOUTH WHO KILLED LOVE RIVAL FACES EXECUTION
a 17 year old Iranian youth who knifed and killed a rival suitor for a girl was sentenced to death by a court in Tehran.
- APRIL 27, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
two men were hanged for drug trafficking in the main prison of Qom, Iran. The prisoners were identified only as Mahmood, 47, and Ghodrat, 56.
APRIL 23, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN HANGS FIVE FOR MURDER
Iran hanged five men convicted of murder in Tehran's Evin prison, the Fars news
APRIL 23, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN PARDONS FIVE CONVICTED OF MURDER
five people convicted of murder in Iran were pardoned by the victims' families "in the last
- APRIL 22, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR MURDER
Iran hanged a man convicted of murder in a prison in the central city of Isfahan,
- APRIL 21, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS FOUR FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran has hanged four people convicted of drug trafficking in the country's
- APRIL 15, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN SAYS NUMBER OF EXECUTIONS IS 'NOT HIGH'
the number of executions in Iran is "not high", the judiciary said in response to an Amnesty International report that listed Iran as the world's second most prolific executioner in 2007.
- APRIL 15, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRANIAN DEATH PENALTY DISSIDENT RETURNS TO JAIL
an award-winning Iranian journalist and rights activist was due to return to prison after being allowed three months' leave because of illness, his lawyer said.
- APRIL 15, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran regime on hanged a man in the northern city of Gonbad Kavoos, the state run
Iran regime on hanged a man in the northern city of Gonbad Kavoos, the state run
APRIL 15, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. THREE HANGED IN ISFAHAN
three men were hanged in the prison of Isfahan, in Iran, reported the semi-official new agency Fars
- APRIL 13, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran hanged two members of a Sunni militant group blamed for a string of attacks
Iran hanged two members of a Sunni militant group blamed for a string of attacks
- APRIL 12, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
two men convicted of abduction and murder were hanged in a prison in the
two men convicted of abduction and murder were hanged in a prison in the
- APRIL 9, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED FOR MURDER
Iran hanged a man convicted of murder in the northern province of Semnan, the
- APRIL 9, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
two men, Abdol-Qodus and Mohammad Yousef...
two men, Abdol-Qodus and Mohammad Yousef, were hanged the prison of Zahedan the capital of Baluchistan province, Iran, reported the Iranian news site Tabnak.
- APRIL 9, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Afsaneh R., originally from Shiraz, Iran...
Afsaneh R., originally from Shiraz, Iran...
- APRIL 1, 2008New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
IRANIAN TO APPEAL REFUSAL OF REFUGEE STATUS
an Iranian overstayer's lawyer says he will be appealing a decision to refuse him refugee status by New Zealand.
- MARCH 27, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
MAN IN DRUG HAUL ATTEMPT GETS DEATH
a court in Doha, Qatar, sentenced an Iranian man to death after he was found guilty of attempting to smuggle drugs into the country.