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
- 9,147
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 9,147 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
NOVEMBER 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Erfan Azadi executed in Kashmar on November 20
NOVEMBER 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mobin Ramazani and Hassan Shokat executed in Yazd on November 20
NOVEMBER 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mozafar Abdolvand executed in Dorud on November 20
NOVEMBER 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Nemat Majidzadeh and Mehran Darabian executed in Semnan on November 20
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mohammadreza Hosseini executed in Ilam on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Akbar Zamani executed in Shahr-e Kord on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mohsen Fakhraie and Ne’mat Shamloo executed in Mashhad on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Fardin Khani executed in Behbahan on November 19
NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Peyman Azizi executed in Kermanshah on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men executed in Ghezel-Hesar on November 19
Hooshang Norouzi, Javad Sadeghi + 1
NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Naser Haseli executed in Ahvaz on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Erfan Azadi executed in Kashmar on November 19
NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ali-Asghar Izadkhah executed in Kerman on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Yusef Abadipour executed in Bushehr on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Ebrahim Khani executed in Yasuj on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Shahrokh Sattari executed in Ardabil on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hamidreza Pirhadi executed in Borujerd on November 19
NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Kianoush Shadman executed in Rasht on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Reza Nosrati and Mansour Dirin executed in Shiraz on November 19
- NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mohammadkarim Bastami executed in Quchan on November 19
NOVEMBER 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 72nd UN Resolution Condemns Grave Human Rights Violations in Iran
- NOVEMBER 18, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men executed in Esfarayen on November 18
Armin Shokri + 2
- NOVEMBER 18, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Saeed Jokar and Mohammad Javad Rashidi executed in Birjand on November 18
- NOVEMBER 18, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hossein Farmani and Aria Saeedi executed in Maragheh on November 18
- NOVEMBER 18, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men executed in Tabriz on November 18
Yadollah Kazemi, Mehrdad Alivand, and Jalil Maghanlou
NOVEMBER 18, 2025United StatesDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Another Iranian–American Imprisoned: Afarin Mohajer
- NOVEMBER 18, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Akbar Faraji + 1 executed in Isfahan on November 18
- NOVEMBER 18, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Farshid Jamiari executed in Qazvin on November 18
- NOVEMBER 18, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Samad Haqverdi executed in Borazjan on November 18
- NOVEMBER 18, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Heydar Tahmasbi executed in Mahshahr on November 18