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
- 9,149
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 9,149 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 26, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed in Karaj (Ghezel Hesar) on February 26
Mosayeb Azizi, Sajad Eghbali + Unk
FEBRUARY 26, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 Kurdish men executed in Karaj (Ghezel Hesar) on February 26
Alireza Basati-Nia, Sajad Eghbali, Mostafa Hajir Behrouz
- FEBRUARY 26, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 7 Kurdish men executed in Kermanshah on February 26
FEBRUARY 26, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Executions in Ghezel Hasar on Feb. 26 rise to 9
FEBRUARY 26, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ali Salimian executed in Isfahan on February 26
- FEBRUARY 26, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Identified 3 men executed in Kermanshah on February 26
Mahdi Jalilian, Sharif Ahmadi, and Javad Mihandoost
FEBRUARY 26, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ezatollah Arab and Moein Arab executed in Bandarabbas on February 26
FEBRUARY 25, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Abdolbari Jahani executed in Bandarabbas on February 25
- FEBRUARY 25, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Faramarz Keyfari Executed in Lakan on February 25
FEBRUARY 24, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ebrahim Khosheh executed in Ahvaz on February 24
FEBRUARY 24, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Yousef Rostami executed in Shiraz on February 24
FEBRUARY 24, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani at imminent risk of execution
Supreme Court rejected the retrial request of political prisoners
- FEBRUARY 24, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men executed in Isfahan on February 22 and 24
Ahmad Hanafi, Asghar Dehghani, and Vahid Mohibi
FEBRUARY 23, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Naeem Abdi executed in Qorveh on February 23
FEBRUARY 23, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Kaveh Asadbeigi executed in Zanjan on February 23
FEBRUARY 23, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mohammadreza Rezaei executed in Khorramabad on February 23
FEBRUARY 22, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 5 men executed in Isfahan on February 22
Shahin Goudarzi, Asghar Dehghani, Ahmad Hanafi, Mojtaba Khorramdel and Vahid Mohebi
- FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Aref Za'faranlou and Hossein Sasani executet in Karaj (Ghezel Hesar) on February 20
FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - IHR 2024 Annual Report
At least 975 people were executed in 2024
FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Shahin Mahdavi and Soran Aminpour executed in Mahabad on February 20
134 executions in 2025
FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mahmoud Barahouei executed in Karaj on February 20
FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Shahin Mahdavikia giustiziato a Mahabad il 20 febbraio
- FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Unidentified man executed in Bushehr on February 20
FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Milad Naseri executed in Gonbad-e Kavus on February 20
FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Babak Hajipour executed in Ahvaz on February 20
- FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hossein Goshoul and Behrouz Goshoul executed in Isfahan on February 20
FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hossein Khalifeyi and Alimorad Taheri executed in Bushehr on February 20
- FEBRUARY 20, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mohsen Sagvand executed in Ahvaz on February 20
- FEBRUARY 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 4 men executed in Karaj (Ghezel Hesar) on February 19
Hossein Yavari, Sasan Mirhadi, Behrouz Mohammadi, Reza Anzali-Chi
- FEBRUARY 19, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Malek Parsa executed in Amol on February 19