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 7, 2006IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. MAN HANGED FOR MURDER
an Iranian man convicted of murder was hanged in a prison in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.
MAY 5, 2006IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. EU PRESIDENCY EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT IRAN’S HUMAN RIGHTS
in a statement from Austria's government, which holds the rotating EU presidency, the 25-nation bloc said it was particularly worried about 10 executions carried out at Iran's Evin prison on April 19 and the indictment of human rights defender Abdolfattah
- MAY 3, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN’S DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER APPROVED
it was reported that the death sentence for a “young man”, Qarib Rahman, has been approved by the Iranian mullahs' judiciary putting him on the verge of execution.
- MAY 3, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. JUVENILE SENTENCED TO DEATH
Iran’s Etemad state daily reported that a 17-year-old boy from the central city of Isfahan was sentenced to death.
MAY 2, 2006IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. WOMAN HANGED IN PUBLIC
Farzaneh Sadeqi, female, was hanged in public for murder in Iran’s western province of Lorestan.
- APRIL 26, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. 23-YEAR-OLD MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN TEHRAN
a 23 year old man identified only by his first name, Abolqasem, was sentenced to death in Tehran
- APRIL 23, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED FOR MURDER, 'THUG' FLOGGED
an Iranian man convicted of murder was executed in a prison in Shiraz and a "thug" flogged near Tehran.
- APRIL 21, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. IRANIAN RESISTANCE CONDEMNS HIGH NUMBER OF EXECUTIONS IN IRAN
NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Mohammad Mohaddessin, in a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, drew attention to the ruthless wave of executions that have risen dramatically since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad becam
- APRIL 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
the Iranian regime's state-controlled media reported that two prisoners...
the Iranian regime's state-controlled media reported that two prisoners...
- APRIL 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. USE OF DEATH PENALTY CONTINUES INCREASING
the Iranian regime's state-controlled media reported that 15 prisoners were sentenced to death in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj (west of Tehran) and that death sentences for three other prisoners in Fars Province (southern Iran) had been upheld.
- APRIL 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. AFGHAN PRISONER HANGED IN CENTRAL IRAN
an Afghan man was hanged in central Iran in the early hours of the day, Iran’s official news agency reported.
APRIL 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. MAN HANGED IN PUBLIC FOR KILLING LOCAL COMMANDER
a “young man” was hanged in the central city of Isfahan charged with killing a local police commander.
- APRIL 19, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran’s State Supreme Court upheld the execution sentence of a young man only identified as 20-year-old Yadollah.
Iran’s State Supreme Court upheld the execution sentence of a young man only identified as 20-year-old Yadollah.
- APRIL 19, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
the execution sentence of a man, identified as 56-year-old Hamid-Reza B.,
the execution sentence of a man, identified as 56-year-old Hamid-Reza B.,
- APRIL 19, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
two “young men”, identified as Sourosh and Nader, were sentenced to hanging in Iran
two “young men”, identified as Sourosh and Nader, were sentenced to hanging in Iran
APRIL 19, 2006IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. TEN 'CONVICTED MURDERERS' HANGED
ten men convicted of murder were hanged in a prison in the Iranian capital.
- APRIL 18, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING HUSBAND
Iran's Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for a 35-year-old woman, Fatemeh Haghighatpajouh who killed her husband, Bahman, after he raped her 15-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. Only the intervention of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Seye
- APRIL 18, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
a court in Tehran, Iran, sentenced 19-year-old Faraz A. to hanging.
a court in Tehran, Iran, sentenced 19-year-old Faraz A. to hanging.
- APRIL 18, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. GOVERNMENT DENIES EXECUTING POLITICAL PRISONERS
Iran's justice minister rejected an accusation that the Islamic regime was executing political prisoners and dismissed such concerns as "sheer lies".
- APRIL 17, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified only as Ali “M”, 59...
a man, identified only as Ali “M”, 59...
- APRIL 17, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified only as Somayeh...
a man, identified only as Somayeh...
- APRIL 16, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. ‘YOUNG MAN’ SENTENCED TO DEATH IN TEHRAN
a young Iranian man was sentenced to death in Tehran according to the state-run news agency, Fars.
- APRIL 13, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified only as Morteza, 20...
a man, identified only as Morteza, 20...
APRIL 13, 2006IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. MAN HANGED FOR ADULTERY, DRUG DEALING
an Iranian man convicted of a number of crimes including drug dealing, adultery and sexual harassment has been hanged in public in the northern province of Qazvin, the Etemad Melli newspaper said.
APRIL 13, 2006NetherlandsDEATH PENALTYNETHERLANDS. IRANIAN GAYS CAN STAY - FOR THE TIME BEING
the Netherlands Parliament has rebuffed a call by Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk to end a moratorium on the deportation of gay asylum seekers from Iran.
- APRIL 11, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TEACHERS CONDEMN EXECUTION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS
in a public statement released in Tehran, teachers supporting the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran condemned the death warrant issued against Valiollah Feiz-Mahdavi in Gohardasht Prison, west of Tehran.
- APRIL 11, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. EXECUTION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN IRAN CONDEMNED IN NEW YORK
the Iranian community in New York condemned the execution of political prisoners in Iran in a demonstration outside the UN headquarters.
- APRIL 10, 2006CanadaDEATH PENALTY
CANADA. BEAUTY QUEEN LAUNCHES QUEST TO SAVE NAMESAKE FROM DEATH SENTENCE IN IRAN
a Canadian beauty queen's campaign to save the life of an Iranian teenager was drawing worldwide interest, with more than 7,000 people signing a petition.
- APRIL 9, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. CONVICTED MURDERER HANGED
an Iranian man convicted of murder was hanged in southern Kerman province.
APRIL 9, 2006IranDEATH PENALTYan Iranian man...
an Iranian man...