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
- AUGUST 1, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY DEMANDS URGENT ACTION FOR TWO FACING DEATH IN IRAN
human rights group Amnesty International called for the death sentences against two Kurdish cousins in Iran to be commuted as it issued an "urgent action" appeal on their behalf.
- AUGUST 1, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. NINE HANGED FOR RAPE, ROBBERY, OTHER CRIMES
Iran hanged nine men sentenced to death for rape, armed robbery and other offences, most of them executed in public in front of a crowd of onlookers, state media reported.
- AUGUST 1, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified as Ramin, was hanged in Shiraz...
a man, identified as Ramin, was hanged in Shiraz...
JULY 31, 2007IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. JAIL FOR JOURNALIST FOR DEFENDING DEATH ROW COLLEAGUES
a Tehran revolutionary court sentenced journalist Emadoldin Baghi to three years in prison
JULY 31, 2007IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN CONFIRMS 2 KURDISH REPORTERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Iran's judiciary for the first time confirmed that two Iranian Kurdish journalists have been sentenced to death for being "enemies of God."
- JULY 29, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO ‘COMMON CRIMINALS’ EXECUTED
Iran hanged two ‘common criminals’, identified as Haj-Morad Mohammadi and Fazel Ramezani. No other details were provided.
- JULY 27, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRANIANS MAY HAVE BEEN EXECUTED FOR BEING GAY
expatriate Iranian sources are reporting that some of the 16 people hanged last week, labelled 'the most famous hooligans in Tehran', were executed for being gay
- JULY 26, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN PUBLICLY HANGS CONVICTED RAPIST
Iran publicly hanged a man convicted on two counts of rape in the northern city of Sari, the Iranian state-run television website reported.
JULY 25, 2007IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. TEEN SET TO ESCAPE EXECUTION
an Iranian teenager awaiting execution for murdering a drug dealer while he was
- JULY 24, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR MURDER
Iran hanged a man convicted of murder in the western city of Kermanshah
- JULY 22, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN SAYS 16 CRIMINALS HANGED
Iran hanged 16 men convicted for various offences, including rape and kidnapping.
- JULY 21, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN PUBLICLY HANGS MAN FOR MURDER
Iran publicly hanged a convicted murderer in the western city of Khoramabad, a press report said.
- JULY 19, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
three men, Majid, 27, Mostafa...
three men, Majid, 27, Mostafa...
JULY 19, 2007IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. KURDISH JOURNALIST, ACTIVIST SENTENCED TO DEATH
authorities in Iran's northwestern Kurdistan Province have condemned two ethnic Kurds
- JULY 18, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HALTS TEENAGER’S EXECUTION
Iran halted the execution of a teenager who murdered a drug dealer when he was 16, giving his family 10 days to reach a settlement with the victim’s kin, his lawyer said.
- JULY 18, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN EXECUTED FOR DRUG DEALING IN IRAN'S SISTAN-BALUCHESTAN
a drug dealer under the name of Na'im Mola'i, suspected of possessing 10 kg of heroin...
- JULY 17, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT PENDING CHILD OFFENDER EXECUTION IN IRAN
Amnesty International discovered that 18 year old Sina Paymard, who was sentenced to death in Iran for a crime committed when he was just 16 years old, may be executed within the next few hours.
- JULY 16, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER
Iran publicly hanged a man convicted of murder in the central city of Arak, the Iran governmental newspaper reported.
- JULY 14, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. THREE HANGED IN PUBLIC
Iran publicly hanged two men and a woman convicted of murder in the northwestern city of Tabriz and the southern city of Shiraz, media reports said.
- JULY 12, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified only as Abdolah F., was executed in Iran...
a man, identified only as Abdolah F., was executed in Iran...
JULY 11, 2007IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. EIGHT WOMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING
Iran sentenced to death eight women currently serving time in Iranian prisons, the state-run daily
JULY 10, 2007IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. 20 CRIMINALS SENTENCED TO DEATH: JUDICIARY SPOKESMAN
judiciary spokesman Alireza Jamshidi announced that 20
- JULY 9, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR MURDER
Iranian authorities executed Navid Parham, 22, by hanging in public, in a street in the southern city of Shiraz.
- JULY 9, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iranian authorities hanged a man identified by local media as Hassan Madadi.
- JULY 9, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL OUTRAGED AT REPORTED STONING
Amnesty International expressed outrage at the reported execution by stoning of Ja’far Kiani on 5 July...
- JULY 8, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR RAPE
Iran hanged a rapist in the central city of Arak, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
- JULY 7, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
Akbar A., 23, was hanged in the city of Isfahan, Iran, for rape.
Akbar A., 23, was hanged in the city of Isfahan, Iran, for rape.
JULY 5, 2007IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. ADULTERER STONED TO DEATH
a man convicted of adultery was stoned to death in a village in northwestern Iran, the first time judiciary has confirmed such an execution in five years.
- JULY 3, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN TO HANG POLITICAL PRISONER ON JULY 4
the death sentence of Khaled Hardani, a political prisoner since 2000, was reaffirmed on May 31, 2007.
- JULY 2, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified only as Mostafa Sh...
a man, identified only as Mostafa Sh...