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
- 9,221
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 9,221 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 7, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Death sentences for Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani
Political prisoners accused of belonging to the PMOI
JANUARY 7, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iran HRM Year-End report
Iran Executed At Least 993 in 2024
JANUARY 7, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN Farman Afristam executed in Kermanshah on January 7
JANUARY 6, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ali Saadi executed in Ahvaz on January 6
JANUARY 6, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ali Atin and Reza Seyedi executed in Mahabad on January 6
JANUARY 6, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - IHR Year-End Report on Women
31 women executed in 2024
JANUARY 5, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Peyman Bahmanyari execeted in Ganaveh on January 5
- JANUARY 5, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Khalil Alizahi e Amir Mohammad Farahani executed in Shiraz on January 5
JANUARY 5, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Abolfazl Azadi executed in Hamedan on January 5
- JANUARY 5, 2025IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Sajad Arzandeh and Mohammadreza Hosseinzadeh executed in Shiraz on January 5
JANUARY 5, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Khalil Alizahi (Sargolzahi) and Amir-Mohammad Farahani executed in Shiraz on January 5
JANUARY 4, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iran News Update Year-End report
Iran Executed At Least 997 in 2024
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 PENALTY
IRAN - 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 PENALTY
IRAN - 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