Iraq
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 1
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · In mid-January, Col
- News items in the archive
- 866
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Iraq is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 1 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 866 news items on Iraq, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- NOVEMBER 29, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
four of fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi’s bodyguards
four of fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi’s bodyguards
NOVEMBER 29, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: DEPUTY GOVERNOR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ARMED ATTACKS
A death verdict was issued in Iraq against the second deputy governor and former
NOVEMBER 25, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: DEATH FOR IRAQI FISHERMAN FOR KILLING KUWAITI COAST GUARD
A Kuwait criminal court sentenced an Iraqi fisherman to death for killing a Kuwaiti
NOVEMBER 11, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 10 PRISONERS EXECUTED FOR TERRORISM
Iraqi authorities executed 10 prisoners for terrorism convictions, the Ministry of Justice announced.
NOVEMBER 8, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: COURT SENTENCES FUGITIVE VP'S GUARDS TO DEATH
Two guards of vice president Tareq al-Hashemi were sentenced by an Iraqi court to death for planting a
- NOVEMBER 4, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
an Iraqi court has handed the country's fugitive Sunni vice president
an Iraqi court has handed the country's fugitive Sunni vice president
- NOVEMBER 1, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: COURT HANDS SUNNI VP 2ND DEATH SENTENCE
An Iraqi court has convicted the country's Sunni vice president on charges of instigating bodyguards to
OCTOBER 8, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: SIX EXECUTED DESPITE MORATORIUM CALLS
Iraqi authorities carried out six more death sentences, bringing to 23 the number of people executed
OCTOBER 7, 2012AlgeriaDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 11 PEOPLE EXECUTED DESPITE INTERNATIONAL OUTCRY
Eleven people were executed in Iraq, bringing the number of executions this year to at least 113.
OCTOBER 4, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 6 PEOPLE EXECUTED DESPITE MORATORIUM CALLS
Iraq executed six people despite calls for a moratorium, a justice ministry official said, bringing
SEPTEMBER 25, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: COURT SENTENCES FOUR AL-QAEDA MEMBERS TO DEATH
The Anbar criminal court sentenced four al-Qaeda members to death by hanging
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2012Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: SAUDI CITIZEN SENTENCED TO DEATH
Another Saudi citizen was sentenced to death in Iraq.
- SEPTEMBER 23, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ SPEEDS UP EXECUTIONS CITING TERROR THREAT, RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT UNFAIR TRIALS
Iraq has executed nearly 100 people so far this year, a big increase over previous years
- SEPTEMBER 11, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
TURKEY REFUSES TO EXTRADITE FUGITIVE IRAQI VICE PREZ
Turkey today said it won't extradite Iraq's fugitive vice president Tareq al-Hashemi, who
- SEPTEMBER 9, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: VICE-PRESIDENT GETS DEATH SENTENCE
An Iraqi court found the nation's Sunni vice president guilty of running death squads against security
AUGUST 29, 2012Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 26 EXECUTIONS IN THREE DAYS
Iraq executed 26 people convicted of terror-related charges between 27 and 29 August 2012, including a Syrian and Saudi national, a justice ministry spokesman said.
JULY 29, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: DEATH VERDICTS RATIFIED FOR 12 TERROR CONVICTS
The Iraqi Presidency Council ratified the death penalty verdicts for 12 terror convicts, including two from other Arab countries, Iraqi official television reported.
- JULY 24, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQI AUTHORITIES URGED TO HALT EXECUTION OF 196 PEOPLE IN ANBAR
Amnesty International has condemned the “alarming” news that nearly 200 executions
- JUNE 28, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: THREE MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TERRORISM
Three men were sentenced to death in Iraq for masterminding a suicide bomb attack on the
JUNE 10, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: THE TERRIBLE STATE MURDER OF ABED HAMID HAMOUD
the Centre for Research on Globalisation (CRG), an independent research and media organization
- JUNE 7, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: SADDAM HUSSEIN'S PERSONAL SECRETARY EXECUTED, ACCORDING TO IRAQI OFFICIAL
Saddam Hussein's trusted personal secretary, once No. 4 on the U.S. most-wanted
- APRIL 18, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: EIGHT MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KARBALA BOMBINGS
Eight militants have been sentenced to death by a court in Karbala, Iraq, on terror charges, a local
- APRIL 11, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: KUT BOMBING PERPETRATORS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Two militants detained in Iraq by security forces on charges of carrying out twin bombings in
APRIL 4, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYUN: BAN KI-MOON URGES HALT TO EXECUTIONS IN IRAQ
Iraq should impose a moratorium on executions in the country, which has seen a sharp rise in
MARCH 13, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: KARBALA ‘GOVERNOR’ FOR AL-QAEDA AMONG EIGHT SENTENCED TO DEATH
The so-called Karbala governor for al-Qaeda is among eight al-Qaeda leaders sentenced
- FEBRUARY 20, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: DEATH SENTENCE FOR BAGHDAD BOMBERS
Three brothers and a fourth man are to hang for a March 2007 car bombing in Baghdad that killed six people and wounded seven, a statement released by the Higher Judicial Council said.
- FEBRUARY 20, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ'S 2012 EXECUTIONS TOP 2011'S NUMBER
Iraq executed four people, bringing the number of people put to death so far this year to at least 69, or one more than in all of 2011, a justice ministry official said.
- FEBRUARY 17, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTY
the Iraqi Presidential Council has ratified the death sentences against 33 terrorists convicted
the Iraqi Presidential Council has ratified the death sentences against 33 terrorists convicted
- FEBRUARY 7, 2012Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
the Higher Judicial Council said in a statement that Iraq has sentenced to death
the Higher Judicial Council said in a statement that Iraq has sentenced to death a Saudi man who was an Al-Qaeda leader in northern Iraq.
FEBRUARY 7, 2012IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 14 PEOPLE HANGED IN ONE DAY
Iraq executed 14 people, most of them Al-Qaeda members, a senior justice ministry official said, bringing to at least 65 the number of executions so far this year.