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
- JANUARY 9, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. 2 EXECUTED IN PUBLIC FOR MURDER
Two men, identified only as Mojtaba and Mohammad-Hossein, were
JANUARY 9, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. THREE EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran regime hanged three, in public, for drug trafficking, in Birjand, capital of South Khorasan province bordering Afghanistan, state-run Fars News Agency reported.
- JANUARY 8, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO HANGED FOR MURDER
Iran hanged two men convicted of murder in the northern city of Tonkabon
- JANUARY 6, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS TWO FOR MURDER, ONE IN PUBLIC
Iran publicly hanged former police official Abolfazl R in the central city of Arak for stabbing a man to death and raping his fiancée in the mountains outside Arak in December 2005, the report said.
- JANUARY 4, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
TWO YOUTHS TO BE EXECUTED IN IRAN FOR POSSIBLE ‘GAY’ RAPE
unconfirmed reports coming from Iran suggest that two youths are facing a brutal execution in the southern city of Shiraz.
JANUARY 4, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN EXECUTES MAN FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Iranian authorities handed over the body of Abdul Qayyum to Taftan police
- JANUARY 3, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS CONVICTED CHILD ABUSER
Iran hanged a man who was found guilty of severely torturing and raping a 12 year old boy in the western city of Hamedan, the state news agency IRNA reported.
- JANUARY 2, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
three people were publicly hanged for drug trafficking in a square in the central
three people were publicly hanged for drug trafficking in a square in the central
- JANUARY 2, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran hanged 8 people convicted of murder, in a mass execution at
Iran hanged 8 people convicted of murder, in a mass execution at
- JANUARY 1, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Offences punishable by death include:
Offences punishable by death include:
- DECEMBER 31, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
Amnesty International reported that Naser Batmani...
Amnesty International reported that Naser Batmani...
- DECEMBER 31, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS TWO FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Iran hanged two people convicted of smuggling drugs in a South-eastern province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, official media reported. The two were put to death in Zahedan prison in the volatile border province of Sistan-
- DECEMBER 25, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR DRUG DEALING
Iran hanged a convicted drug dealer in the northern town of Gorgan, the official news agency IRNA reported.
- DECEMBER 24, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR MURDER IN PUBLIC
Iran publicly hanged a man found guilty of murdering his wife more than two years ago in the southern city of Kazeroun, a newspaper reported.
- DECEMBER 20, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: REGARDING EXECUTIONS OF 3 CHILD OFFENDERS
Amnesty International urges Iranian authorities to prevent the execution...
- DECEMBER 20, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
a Kurd with Turkish citizenship was executed in Iran.
a Kurd with Turkish citizenship was executed in Iran.
- DECEMBER 20, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: WOMAN'S EXECUTION POSTPONED
the execution of Raheleh Zamani was reportedly postponed until around January 2, 2008.
- DECEMBER 19, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified only as Ghassem, was executed at Evin prison in Iran.
a man, identified only as Ghassem, was executed at Evin prison in Iran.
- DECEMBER 19, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: WOMAN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
a woman, identified as Zahra, was executed at Evin Prison, Iran, for having killed her husband.
- DECEMBER 19, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: LAST MINUTE REPRIEVE FOR WOMAN ON DEATH ROW
Raheleh Zamani, who was found guilty of killing her husband, was spared the death penalty minutes before she was due to be hanged in Iran.
- DECEMBER 19, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
a man was hanged in public in the village of Ali Abad...
a man was hanged in public in the village of Ali Abad...
- DECEMBER 18, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran voted against the Resolution on a Moratorium...
Iran voted against the Resolution on a Moratorium...
- DECEMBER 17, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran executed a man for drug trafficking in the south eastern city of Zahedan.
- DECEMBER 17, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN IN ZAHEDAN
Iran hanged a criminal in the south eastern city of Zahedan...
DECEMBER 17, 2007IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. TWO AFGHAN BROTHERS HANGED
Iran hanged two convicted Afghan nationals for murder in the central city
- DECEMBER 16, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
Raheleh Zamani, 25 anni, è stata condannata in Iran...
Raheleh Zamani, 25 anni, è stata condannata in Iran...
- DECEMBER 12, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN PUBLICLY HANGS MAN FOR MURDER: STATE TV
Iran hanged a man in public who was found guilty of murdering a taxi driver two years ago...
- DECEMBER 11, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
a 48-year-old man with two children faces death by stoning...
a 48-year-old man with two children faces death by stoning...
DECEMBER 11, 2007IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. FOUR HANGED, ONE IN PUBLIC
four men were hanged for drug trafficking in the city of Bojnord in the Northern
- DECEMBER 6, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: NO WARNING OF YOUTH'S HANGING, LAWYER CLAIMS
Saiid Eghbal, the lawyer of hanged homosexual Iranian youth Makwan Moloudzadeh...
