At least 1 639 people were executed in Iran last year, the highest number since 1989.
This is stated in the annual report of the human rights organizations Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), France 24 reports.
The number of executions has increased by 68% over the past year, compared to 2024, when 975 cases were recorded. Human rights activists say this is one of the sharpest jumps in recent decades.
At least 48 women were among those executed, the highest number in more than 20 years and a 55% increase from the previous year. Some of them were convicted of murdering their husbands. Human rights activists say many of these women suffered from domestic violence.
Almost half of all executions in 2025 were for drug-related crimes. The vast majority were carried out by hanging in prisons, but the number of public executions more than tripled to 11.
The organizations also emphasize that a significant portion of executions are not officially reported by the Iranian authorities. The report also states that even amid the escalation of conflicts in the region, Iran continued to carry out death sentences.
- In 2024, 1 518 people were executed in 15 countries — the highest number since 2015, according to Amnesty International.
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