Iran carried out highest number of executions in decades

Two independent organizations, Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty (EPCM), report that Iran executed at least 1,639 individuals in the past year, marking the highest figure in the country since 1989. This surge represents a 68% increase over 2024, when 975 executions were documented. The organizations attribute the rise to heightened political tensions following January’s protests and the ongoing conflict with the U.S. and Israel.

Reasons for Convictions

The majority of those executed were convicted of drug-related crimes or murder, according to the report. However, at least 57 faced security-related charges, including two protesters. The NGOs emphasize that the use of the death penalty has intensified, with security forces conducting a widespread crackdown that resulted in thousands of demonstrators killed and tens of thousands detained.

Since the conflict began on 28 February, seven individuals have been executed in connection with the protests. Additionally, six members of the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK) and one person convicted of spying for Israel were also executed. Iran Human Rights director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam highlighted that the rights of the Iranian people were overlooked in recent negotiations, calling for a death penalty moratorium and the release of political prisoners as top priorities.

Historical Context

Iran has consistently ranked as the world’s second-largest executioner after China, where the exact number of executions remains a state secret. However, the 2024 report notes that the current year saw the highest recorded execution count in the Islamic Republic’s 36-year history, averaging four executions per day. Drug-related crimes accounted for 795 of the 1,639 executions, a 58% rise from the previous year. Murder convictions increased by 79%, while 37 individuals were executed for rape. Notably, at least 48 women were executed, the largest number in over two decades, representing a 55% increase from 2024.

Disproportionate Impact

The NGOs argue that ethnic minorities and marginalized communities were overrepresented among those executed. Over half of the deaths occurred after sentences from the Revolutionary Courts, which the groups describe as unfair trials lacking due process. Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan, executive director of EPCM, stated that abolishing the death penalty must be central to U.S.-Iran discussions on ending their conflict. He warned that if the Islamic Republic navigates current challenges successfully, executions could become a more entrenched tool of control.

“The question of abolishing the death penalty had to be at the heart of any talks between the US and Iran on ending their war,” said Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan, according to AFP. The report also notes that at least 16 individuals sentenced to death in the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests remain under threat. Twenty-seven others have since been sentenced over this year’s demonstrations, with hundreds more facing potential death penalties.