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
JANUARY 4, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ramezan Taheri executed in Taybad on January 4
JANUARY 4, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Valiollah Kamalpour executed in Semnan on January 4
JANUARY 2, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed in Zanjan on December 29 and January 2
Mostafa Shakeri, Khosrow Khodadadi, and Karim Bahmani
JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Meysam Farhadi and Reza Bakhtiari executed in Kermanshah on January 1
- JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men executed in Karaj (Ghezel-Hesar) on January 1
Arshia …, Amin … + 1 Unk.
JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hengaw Year-End report
Iran Executed At Least 901 in 2024
JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 more men executed in Karaj (Ghezel-Hesar) on January 1
Ali Vahdani, Hassan Vahdani, and Shahram Mahdavi
- JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men executed in Bandar Abbas on January 1
Heydat Ghasemi and two unidentified Afghans
JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 5 men executed in Bandar Abbas
Heydat Ghasemi, Shahrokh Sabahpour, Ramzi Beigsowar + 2 Unk
JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Update: 10 executions in Karaj on January 1
Previous information spoke of 3, or 6 executions
- JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mohammad Shafi Mousavi executed in Malayer on January 1
JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Behrouz Mehrani executed in Gorgan on January 1
- JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Ali Moradi executed in Ahvaz on January 1
JANUARY 1, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Pezhman (Pejman) Masoudi Koushk executed in Yasuj on January 1
- DECEMBER 31, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Yavar Abdali executed in Dezful on December 31
DECEMBER 31, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 34 Women Executed in 2024
Year-end report of the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
DECEMBER 31, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed in Qazvin on December 31
Amir Mohammadi + 2 unk
DECEMBER 30, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ahmad Barahouei and Kurus Naroui executed in Isfahan on December 30
- DECEMBER 30, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 4 men executed in Isfahan on December 30
Ahmad Barahooie (Brahui) Chenal, Kourosh Narooie, Ayat Pourmansouri, and Babak Shoghi.
DECEMBER 30, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Protester (Mojahed) Korkor sentenced to death
For the second time
- DECEMBER 29, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Jalal Stanekzai executed in Aligudarz on December 29
DECEMBER 27, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Cecilia Sala, a 29-year-old Italian journalist, arrested in Tehran
- DECEMBER 26, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 4 men executed in Gonabad on December 26
Javad Ghaffari, Ahmad Ghafran, Abdollah Naroui and Hossein Salarzehi
DECEMBER 26, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Saman Fakhri and Asad Amini executed in Jiroft on December 26
948 executions in Iran in 2024
- DECEMBER 26, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Jahan Tigh third man executed in Jiroft on Dec. 26
951 executions in Iran in 2024
- DECEMBER 25, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 3 men executed in Karaj (Ghezel-Hesar) on December 25
Masoud Jalilian, Hassan Mansouri, Hamed Pakdaman
- DECEMBER 25, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Habib Pournaghi executed in Tabriz on December 25
- DECEMBER 25, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hamed Ranjbar and Kateb Seyednian executed in Shiraz on December 25
DECEMBER 25, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed in Shiraz on December 25
Iman Yazdani, Davood Barati, and Mohammad-Ali Soleimankhani
DECEMBER 25, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mahmoud Keshavarzi executed in Shiraz on December 25