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
- 874
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 874 news items on Iraq, from 1999 to today.
In Iraq death sentences come largely from terrorism proceedings, often collective and concluded quickly. The method is hanging. Executions are carried out in groups, usually with no notice to the families and with announcements afterwards.
International bodies have repeatedly reported trials lacking minimum guarantees and sentences founded on confessions. The archive follows executions, sentences and requests for a stay.
Latest news
MAY 21, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: TWO TERRORISTS SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR JOINING IS
A criminal court in Iraq has sentenced two terrorists to death by hanging for joining Islamic State, a judicial spokesman said.
- MAY 14, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR SLAUGHTERING RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT
An Iraqi court has sentenced a man to death by hanging for involvement in slaughtering a Russian diplomat in 2006, an Iraqi judicial official was quoted as saying.
APRIL 22, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: TWO TERRORISTS SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER KILLING POLICEMEN
An Iraqi court sentenced two terrorists to death over killing a number of policemen and other informers.
- APRIL 19, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ GIVES DEATH SENTENCE TO ISLAMIC STATE 'JUDGE'
An Iraqi court has given the death penalty to a man who acted as a legislative judge in Mosul for the Islamic State (IS) when the group was in control of the city, said a judicial spokesman.
APRIL 18, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: MORE THAN 300 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR IS LINKS
Iraqi courts have sentenced to death a total of more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to the Islamic State group, judicial sources said.
APRIL 17, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 4 FOREIGN WOMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR JOINING IS
An Iraqi court sentenced four foreign women to death and three to life in prison for joining the extremist militant group Islamic State (IS), the Iraqi judiciary said.
APRIL 16, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 13 PEOPLE EXECUTED, INCLUDING 11 FOR ‘TERRORISM’
Iraq executed 13 people including 11 convicted on charges relating to "terrorism", the justice ministry said.
- APRIL 9, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: SEVEN KEY ISLAMIC STATE LEADERS SENTENCED TO DEATH ON GENOCIDE CHARGES
An Iraqi court sentenced seven key Islamic State (IS) leaders to death as they were found guilty of killing scores of innocent people in Nineveh.
APRIL 2, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: BAGHDAD SENTENCES SIX TURKISH ISIL WIDOWS TO DEATH
Iraq sentenced six Turkish women to death and a seventh to life in prison after being convicted on charges of terrorism, including providing support to ISIL operations.
MARCH 21, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: MORE THAN 3,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ALLEGED TERROR LINKS
Iraq has detained or imprisoned at least 19,000 people accused of connections to the Islamic State group or other terror-related offenses, and sentenced more than 3,000 of them to death, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.
MARCH 8, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: IS LEADER'S SISTER SENTENCED TO DEATH AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF TERROR CHARGES
The sister of Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has been convicted of terrorism charges and sentenced to death.
FEBRUARY 25, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 16 TURKISH WOMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER DAESH MEMBERSHIP
A court in Iraq has sentenced 16 Turkish women to death over membership in the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and involvement in acts of terror across the conflict-ridden Arab country.
- FEBRUARY 18, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ SENTENCES TURKISH WOMAN TO DEATH, 11 OTHERS TO LIFE
A court in the Iraqi capital sentenced to death a Turkish woman and 11 other foreign widows to life in jail for belonging to the Islamic State.
- JANUARY 21, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQI COURT SENTENCES TO DEATH GERMAN WOMAN WHO JOINED ISLAMIC STATE
An Iraqi criminal court has sentenced a German woman of Moroccan origin to death by hanging, after convicting her of joining the Islamic State militant group.
- JANUARY 1, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTY
On April 9, 2003 Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime was overthrown by a US-led military coalition.
On April 9, 2003 Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime was overthrown by a US-led military coalition.
- DECEMBER 28, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: DIYALA COURT SENTENCES IS MEMBER TO DEATH OVER ASSISTING SUICIDE ATTACKERS IN BLASTS
Diyala Criminal Court issued two death sentences against a terrorist for transferring suicide attackers who blew up themselves in the province.
DECEMBER 16, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTYKURDISH PARLIAMENT ISSUES AMNESTY: CONVICTS ON DEATH ROW GET 15 YEARS IN PRISON
The Kurdistan parliament has decided in a majority vote to issue an amnesty to those on death row, reducing their sentence to a mere 15 years in prison, excluding those convicted of serious criminal charges.
- DECEMBER 14, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ HANGS 38 SUNNI MILITANTS IN MASS EXECUTION: JUSTICE MINISTRY
Iraq hanged 38 Sunni Muslim militants after they were sentenced to death on terrorism charges, the justice ministry said in a statement.
- NOVEMBER 3, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: SENIOR ARMY COMMANDER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR COLLABORATING WITH ISIS
The Iraqi supreme military court sentenced to death by firing squad a former commander of Iraqi Army in Nineveh Province, Iraqi news agencies reported.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTYHANGING OF 42 PRISONERS IN IRAQ RAISES CONCERN OVER FLAWED DUE PROCESS – UN RIGHTS CHIEF
The mass hanging of 42 prisoners on September 24 in a prison in southern Iraq raises massive concerns over the country's use of the death penalty, the UN human rights chief said.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ CARRIES OUT DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST 42 TERRORISTS IN DHI QAR
Iraqi Justice Minister carried out death sentences against 42 terrorists imprisoned at al-Hout prison in Dhi Qar province
- SEPTEMBER 12, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: ISIS FOREIGN FIGHTER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Russian national convicted of being an ISIS fighter has been sentenced to death by a criminal court in Baghdad, Iraq's High Judicial Council announced.
- AUGUST 27, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: ISLAMIC STATE’S ‘CHEMICAL EMIR’ SENTENCED TO DEATH
Baghdad Iraq’s Central Criminal Court sentenced a prominent Islamic State chemical warfare developer to death, convicting him of developing some of the group’s deadliest weapons.
- MARCH 30, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
Man stoned to death for being gay by IS
30 March 2017: the Islamic State (IS) group militants executed a prisoner by stoning to death before throwing him off the roof of a high-rise building in Iraq's Mosul after discovering his sexuality.
MARCH 26, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: BAGHDAD COURT SENTENCES MAN TO DEATH OVER LINKS TO ISIS HACKING
An Iraqi criminal court has sentenced a man to death on terrorism charges over links to secretive Islamic State (ISIS) hacking programs.
- JANUARY 31, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: SYRIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR FINANCING ISLAMIC STATE
Iraq’s judiciary sentenced a Syrian national to death, finding him guilty of financing Islamic State militants.
- JANUARY 25, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: TWO ISIL MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Kirkuk criminal court judge sentenced two ISIL militants to death, Brig. Sarhad Qadir, Kirkuk Suburban Police Chief, told Millet Press.
JANUARY 20, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 31 CONVICTS EXECUTED FOR SPEICHER'S MASSACRE
31 persons were executed for their alleged role in Speicher's massacre in 2014, Iraqi Justice Ministry announced.
- JANUARY 1, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
On April 9, 2003 Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime was overthrown by a US-led military coalition.
On April 9, 2003 Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime was overthrown by a US-led military coalition.
- DECEMBER 30, 2016IraqDEATH PENALTY
the Justice Ministry disclosed that there are about 300 death-convicts are in Iraqi prisons, but the execution verdicts were not implemented till now.
the Justice Ministry disclosed that there are about 300 death-convicts are in Iraqi prisons, but the execution verdicts were not implemented till now.