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
- 8,611
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 8,611 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
APRIL 7, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Alireza Marzban executed in Shiraz on April 7
APRIL 5, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Kurdistan Human Rights Network’s Annual Report
For the Iranian year 1402 (21 March 2023 – 19 March 2024)
APRIL 5, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hassan Ali Mirzania executed in Khorramabad on April 5
APRIL 3, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Death Sentence for Police Officer Jafar Javanmardi, who Killed Protester
Reflections on a very rare event
APRIL 2, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Death sentence for political prisoner Shahriar Bayat
- MARCH 25, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 2 men and 1 woman executed in Tabriz
Abbas Aghayi, Yasin Zolfaghari and his unidentified wife
- MARCH 20, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - “Black Tuesdays” Hunger Strikes Against the Death Penalty
Political prisoners from five prisons
- MARCH 18, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Scale of Iran rights abuses slammed at UN
At UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
MARCH 18, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 7 Public Executions in 2023
MARCH 17, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Asghar Tabarzin executed in Tabriz on March 17
MARCH 17, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Yadollah Talebvand executed in Khorramabad on March 17
An army officer
MARCH 16, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Protester Mehran Akrami lost his life under torture
A 32 year old Kurdish man
- MARCH 15, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Implemented Executions versus Forgiveness
282 executions for murder, but 857 avoided
- MARCH 14, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 5 Juvenile Offenders Executed in 2023
2 confirmed, 3 unconfirmed
MARCH 14, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Behzad Bidrang executed in Qazvin on March 14
MARCH 12, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Executions for Adultery and Blasphemy in 2023
MARCH 11, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Moein Salahvarzi executed in Ilam on March 11
After 32 years on death row
MARCH 11, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Nour-Mohammad Tajik and Abdolbaset … executed in Karaj on March 11
Afhan nationals
MARCH 11, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mansour Mansouri executed in Ilam on March 11
MARCH 8, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - UN Report Blames Islamic Republic for Mahsa Amini's Death
MARCH 8, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Report of the Iran Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran
Established by the United Nations Human Rights Council in November 2022
MARCH 7, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mehdi Gorgij executed in Zanjan on March 7
MARCH 7, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Fakhredin Mangur-Nejad and Abbas Dadvar executed in Mahabad on March 7
MARCH 7, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hadi Hadi Khanlu executed in Zanjan on March 7
MARCH 6, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Salim Bagheri executed in Kashan on March 6
MARCH 6, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Sweden: Hamid Noury’s Appeal Rejected
MARCH 6, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Farshad Rakhshani executed in Gonbad-e Kavus on March 6
MARCH 5, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - IHR 2023 year report: 834 executions
Hands off Cain counted 883
MARCH 4, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iman … and Mostafa Jamil Samadi executed in Shiraz on March 4
- MARCH 3, 2024IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Milad Galavi executed in Khash on March 3