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
FEBRUARY 13, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN QUASHES EXECUTION VERDICT FOR FOOTBALL CASE WOMAN
Iran quashed the conviction of a woman sentenced to death for murdering a
FEBRUARY 11, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. YOUNG BELUCHI JOURNALIST CONDEMNED TO DEATH
Yaghoub Mehrnahad, a student and journalist from the Beluchi ethnic group, is the
FEBRUARY 11, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. LIFE OF A TEENAGE HANGS IN BALANCE
despite widespread international calls by humanitarian organizations for stay of
- FEBRUARY 9, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
the Iranian judiciary acquitted a young man, identified only by his first name
the Iranian judiciary acquitted a young man, identified only by his first name
- FEBRUARY 7, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN CONVICTED OF CHILD MURDERS
Iran hanged a man for murdering four boys, Tehran Emrooz newspaper reported.
- FEBRUARY 5, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR BEING DRUNK
an Iranian court sentenced a 22 year old man to death for violating the Islamic
FEBRUARY 5, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. DRAFT LAW PROPOSES DEATH PENALTY FOR RELIGIOUS CONVERSION
the Iranian Parliament is reviewing a draft penal code that for the first time in
- FEBRUARY 4, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Iranian Supreme Court upheld the death sentence...
Iranian Supreme Court upheld the death sentence...
FEBRUARY 4, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. NINE MINORS WAITING TO BE HANGED
nine minors condemned to death in Iran are waiting in prison for their 18th
FEBRUARY 4, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. TWO SISTERS FACE STONING FOR ADULTERY
two Iranian sisters convicted of adultery face being stoned to death after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentences against them, the Etemad newspaper quoted their lawyer as saying.
FEBRUARY 1, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING
an Iranian music teacher, Abdollah Farivar Moghaddam, has been sentenced to death by stoning, for having relations with one of his students.
- JANUARY 30, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
three convicted for murder, in Iran...
three convicted for murder, in Iran...
- JANUARY 30, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
five men were hanged in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, in Iran, state media reported
five men were hanged in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, in Iran, state media reported
JANUARY 30, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. FIVE HANGED FOR MURDER
Iran hanged five convicted murderers in Tehran's Evin prison, the Fars news agency reported.
JANUARY 30, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. JUDICIAL CHIEF MUST NOW APPROVE PUBLIC EXECUTIONS
Iran announced that the powerful head of its judiciary must in future approve any
JANUARY 30, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. ARAB SEPARATIST HANGED IN KHUZESTAN
the prominent Iranian Arab separatist Zamel Bavi was hanged in
- JANUARY 29, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
the Supreme Court of Iran upheld the death sentence of a young man named
the Supreme Court of Iran upheld the death sentence of a young man named
JANUARY 29, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. RARE EXECUTION FOR CORRUPTION CARRIED OUT
Iran has executed a customs contractor for corruption and three customs
JANUARY 28, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN PUBLICLY HANGS TWO CONVICTED OF RAPE AND MURDER
two men convicted of raping and murdering nine women were hanged in public in the central Iranian city of Arak, the Fars news agency reported.
- JANUARY 27, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
the Criminal Court in Kuwait City, Kuwait, sentenced an Iranian
the Criminal Court in Kuwait City, Kuwait, sentenced an Iranian
JANUARY 26, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. FIRING SQUAD EXECUTES MAN WHO RAPED 17 CHILDREN
An Iranian firing squad executed a man who raped 17 children
- JANUARY 25, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
two men were hanged in the city of Torbat-e-Jam...
two men were hanged in the city of Torbat-e-Jam...
- JANUARY 23, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran hanged a prisoner identified as Akhtar in the central
Iran hanged a prisoner identified as Akhtar in the central
- JANUARY 22, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. PUBLICLY HANGED FOR MURDER
Iran publicly hanged a convicted murderer in the western city of Khoramabad,
- JANUARY 15, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
the death sentence of Javid, 20...
the death sentence of Javid, 20...
- JANUARY 15, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
a minor offender, named Amir, is at imminent risk of execution...
a minor offender, named Amir, is at imminent risk of execution...
- JANUARY 14, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: IRAN'S STONING A CRUEL AND UNACCEPTABLE PRACTICE
as nine women and two men in Iran wait to be stoned to death, Amnesty International called on the Iranian authorities to abolish execution by stoning and impose an immediate moratorium on this horrific practice, specifically designed to increase the suffe
- JANUARY 14, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TOP CAMPAIGNER HARASSED
Emaddedin Baghi, Iran’s leading anti-death penalty campaigner, is back behind bars in the country’s notorious Evin prison after intense harassment leading to his hospitalisation and concern that he may have suffered a heart attack.
JANUARY 14, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. FOUR AHWAZI ACTIVISTS EXECUTED
four Ahwazi activists were executed in secret last week by the Iranian
JANUARY 12, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. KURD HANGED ON A STRETCHER
the Kurdish magazine Asu has published the photo of the execution in Iran of a Kurd with Turkish citizenship, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) reported.