Iran carried out at least 975 executions last year, marking a significant rise in its use of capital punishment, according to two human rights organizations. Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and the French group Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) reported that this was the highest number recorded since IHR began tracking executions in Iran in 2008.
The report described the increase as a “horrifying escalation,” accusing the Iranian government of using executions as a tool for political repression. IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam stated that the Islamic Republic was targeting its own citizens to maintain control, highlighting that an average of five people were executed daily in the last three months of 2024, coinciding with rising tensions between Iran and Israel.
The total executions in 2024 represented a 17% rise from the 834 recorded in 2023. Among those executed, four were hanged in public, and 31 were women—the highest number in 17 years.
Executions Linked to Protests
Human rights groups claim Iran, the second-highest global executioner after China, uses capital punishment to instill fear, particularly after mass protests erupted in 2022. Iran’s judicial system, rooted in Sharia law since the 1979 revolution, applies the death penalty for crimes like murder, rape, and drug offenses, as well as politically charged accusations such as “corruption on earth” and “rebellion.”
In 2024, two individuals were executed in connection with the nationwide protests following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Mohammad Ghobadlu, 23, was executed in January for allegedly killing a police officer with his car during a protest. Rights groups criticized the trial, claiming it disregarded evidence of his bipolar disorder. Another protester, 34-year-old Gholamreza Rasaei, was executed in secret in August for allegedly killing a Revolutionary Guard member, with activists alleging his confession was obtained through torture.
The report suggested the actual number of executions may be higher, with 39 additional cases unverified due to a lack of corroborating sources. So far in 2025, at least 121 executions have already been reported.
