Iran Executed At Least 1,639 People in 2025, Highest Since 1989
Iran executed at least 1,639 individuals in 2025, marking the highest annual total since 1989 and a 68 percent increase from the previous year, according to a joint report by Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM). This figure averages more than four executions daily. The surge includes 48 women, the highest number in over two decades, with many convicted of killing abusive spouses. Nearly half of all executions were for drug-related offenses, while ethnic minorities, particularly Kurds and Baluchs, faced disproportionate targeting. Rights groups warn that capital punishment is increasingly used as a political tool to suppress dissent following January 2026 protests and amid ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States. Hundreds of detained protesters remain at risk of execution. The report highlights that public hangings more than tripled to 11 cases. IHR emphasizes these figures are minimum estimates, as many executions go unreported by official Iranian media. The organizations caution that the regime may intensify executions to maintain control during the current geopolitical crisis.
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Iran Executed At Least 1,639 People in 2025, Highest Since 1989
Iran executed at least 1,639 individuals in 2025, marking the highest annual total since 1989 and a 68 percent increase from the previous year, according to a joint report by Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM). This figure averages more than four executions daily. The surge includes 48 women, the highest number in over two decades, with many convicted of killing abusive spouses. Nearly half of all executions were for drug-related offenses, while ethnic minorities, particularly Kurds and Baluchs, faced disproportionate targeting. Rights groups warn that capital punishment is increasingly used as a political tool to suppress dissent following January 2026 protests and amid ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States. Hundreds of detained protesters remain at risk of execution. The report highlights that public hangings more than tripled to 11 cases. IHR emphasizes these figures are minimum estimates, as many executions go unreported by official Iranian media. The organizations caution that the regime may intensify executions to maintain control during the current geopolitical crisis.
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