Iran's Surge in Executions: A 2025 Overview

In 2025, Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 individuals, marking the highest number of executions since 1989, according to a joint report by Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM). This figure represents a 68 percent increase from the 975 executions recorded in 2024, averaging more than four executions per day. The report highlights that among those executed were 48 women, the highest number in over two decades, with a significant portion of these executions linked to domestic violence cases.

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The surge in executions has been attributed to the Iranian government's response to widespread protests in January 2026 and ongoing military conflicts with Israel and the United States. The report warns that if the Islamic Republic manages to maintain its grip on power, the use of capital punishment may escalate further as a means of oppression. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of IHR, stated that the government aims to instill fear through these executions to deter future protests and prolong its rule.

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The report indicates that ethnic minorities, particularly the Kurdish and Baluch populations, are disproportionately affected by capital punishment in Iran. Almost half of those executed were convicted of drug-related offenses. The methods of execution predominantly involved hanging, with public executions more than tripling to 11 in 2025. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, assert that Iran has the highest rate of executions per capita globally, second only to China, for which reliable data is unavailable.

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Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan, executive director of ECPM, criticized the Iranian government's use of the death penalty as a political tool, particularly affecting marginalized groups. The report also notes that many women executed for killing spouses or relatives were often victims of abusive relationships, raising concerns about the justice system's treatment of vulnerable populations.

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The report emphasizes that hundreds of detained protesters remain at risk of receiving death sentences following the January protests, which were met with a violent crackdown resulting in thousands of deaths and arrests. The situation remains precarious, with human rights organizations closely monitoring the developments.

Times of Israel

• “survives the current crisis, there is a serious risk that executions will be used even more extensively as a tool of oppression and repression” — Iran Human Rights Report

France 24

• “The death penalty in Iran is used as a political tool of oppression and repression, with ethnic minorities and other marginalised groups disproportionately represented among those executed.” — Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan, ECPM Executive Director

France 24

This alarming trend in Iran's execution rates raises significant concerns about human rights and the treatment of dissent within the country, as the government appears to intensify its crackdown on opposition and marginalized communities.

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